


Underfell, Another Take-ish

by TheGarbageIsReallol



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I have no idea what I'm doing, So yeah, and deaths, and definite fluff, and we all know how that ends, be prepared for feels maybe, but they're all in Underfell, but who knows, crap, just remembered this is Underfell, never sin, no sin tho, oh and the Frisk/Papyrus thing, rating was changed, so that'll be interesting, swears and violence, that's just for that one dating scene, whoopsies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-08-30 11:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 27,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8532070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGarbageIsReallol/pseuds/TheGarbageIsReallol
Summary: Welcome to Underfell. The monsters refuse mercy. The warmth that they showed was all gone. All back to zero.Frisk is stuck in a cruel and twisted place, where they know all too well that it's kill or be killed. But they befriended them once before. Maybe they can do it again. . .This is my take on Underfell.*Results may vary*





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha ha what am I doing with my life? 
> 
> Aaaaaany whoodle doodle poodle, I guess I'm writing up a fanfiction now. When inspiration hits, write a fanfic about video game characters, amirite? No?
> 
> Man seriously, what am I doing.

“I know I say this often, but you’ve saved us all my child! I simply cannot thank you enough!”

“Now, now Tori, I think we should-”

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion, Asgore.”

 

“. . . Right.”

 

Frisk giggled softly, content with their warm surroundings. It had only been a month since they freed everyone, yet the surface already felt like home. The resets were done and over with. They were content. And yet, they suspected not everyone was happy yet. They looked towards the skeleton rattling off bad puns in the corner with his brother. The two seemed content, save for Papyrus’ foot stamping of irritation. However, Frisk knew better. 

 

“that’s a real  _ rib-tickler,  _ ey pap?”

 

“SANS I SWEAR!” 

 

Frisk nudged the punning skeleton slightly in the arm, prompting his attention.

 

“huh? wassup kiddo?”

 

“Can we talk?”

 

“oh boy, looks like i’m in the dog house now, huh? be right back paps.” Sans smiled genially, then turned to follow Frisk. Whatever the kid wanted, they sure seemed to be adamant about it.

 

“so, what’s botherin’ ya pal?” Sans asked, although he already figured what it could be. 

 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Frisk sighed. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. You don’t really trust me, do you?”

 

“what? no way kiddo. you didn’t do anything wrong, why wouldn’t I trust you?” Sans searched their face for a shift in their expression. As he thought, slight guilt flashed across, then the neutral expression fixed back on.

 

“Then why have you been so down lately?” Frisk fought their multitudes of flashbacks, reset after reset. Death after death.

 

“what’re ya talkin’ about kid? i’m all smiles.” The skeleton grinned widely.

 

“You know, don’t you? About the. . . Things.” Frisk stumbled with their words. They didn’t really like to bring up the topic, especially since they weren’t sure if he knew completely what they could do, or if he could guess how they felt by their expressions.

 

“sure. don’t we all know ‘things’?” Sans chuckled emptily. 

 

“You know, don’t you?” 

 

“. . . sure.”

 

“Well, I can promise you, they won’t happen again! They won’t! I. . . promise.” They looked up for some kind of recognition, or even confusion, but got nothing. What felt like a millennia passed before he said anything.

 

“promise?” He stared down at them, the corners of his mouth looser, but not quite frowning. 

 

They nodded sincerely. “Pinky promise!”

 

“heh, no need to get technical on me, kid. but sure, pinky promise.” With genuine smiles, they both stretched out their pinkies. 

 

“thanks kiddo. i’ll make sure to keep that in mind.” Sans grinned, then left to go talk to Papyrus.

 

Yes, Frisk promised. They promised not to do it again.

 

They promised. . .

 

“So  _ why?”  _ They looked up teary eyed. 

  
_ Why am I lying on a bed of flowers? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one to be posted right after this maybe.


	2. Fallen Down Reprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wowzers, everything sure is different down here.

    Frisk sat up hesitantly, shaking off their nerves.  
  
_He’ll understand. I didn’t do this._  
  
_I didn’t do this._  
  
_I. . ._  
  
_Didn’t do this._  
  
_If I didn’t then who did?_  
  
    They looked around for their flowery companion. Even though Frisk was almost positive that it couldn’t have been him, considering how much he had changed after breaking the barrier, they still had to make sure.  
  
    “Flowey? Flowey?”  
  
    After several moments passed, Frisk remembered that they had to walk into the next room. It hadn’t been that long, and yet they were already forgetting how it worked. They took small steps, not really excited to be blasted with friendliness pellets again. Oh well, better get a move on.  
  
    Almost at once, a bitter voice greeted them, high pitched and irritable.  
  
    “Hey there, ‘I won’t reset again, I promise’. How’s that going for you?”  
  
    “Flowey, I-”  
  
    “ ‘No Flowey, resets are wrong! Of course I’ll never do it again! I’ve learned the error of my ways!’ And to think I actually believed you.”  
  
    “Flowey-”  
  
    “Save me the hypocrite speech. Yeah, sure I did it too. But you were supposed to be the good one! You were supposed to keep the happiness! Of course you’d go and reset again, of COURSE you would. Why did I even trust you?”  
  
    “Flo-”  
  
    “Oh but no, you could never do any wrong! You would never crush everyone’s hopes and dreams! No, no, that’d just be silly. Seriously you-”  
  
    “FLOWEY!”  
  
    The flower stopped its rant and simply huffed. Frisk groaned and realized that it really couldn’t have been him. He seemed more upset than they were.  
  
    “I didn’t do this. I made a promise and I intend to keep it. I’ll bring them, and you, back to the surface no matter how many times it takes. So will you help me or not?”  
  
    Flowey rolled his eyes. The kid had been good for a month, so why start now? They didn’t really seem bored, plus they had already tried almost all of the other routes. There was nothing left for them to see. _Except. . ._ Flowey sighed.  
  
    “Fine, I get it. But you better not hurt a fly. I. . . Wouldn’t mind breathing the surface air again.”  
  
    “Great!” Frisk put their hand out for Flowey to climb on. With his help, this route should be much faster.  
  
    But before the duo could take another step, a blazing blue fireball shot at Frisk’s feet, stopping them from proceeding.  
  
    “Oh my! A cute little _human_ child. I didn’t mean to startle you! I was just. . . Testing your reflexes.” A saccharine-sweet voice chirped, each word being emphasized dramatically. It sounded friendly, like Flowey did when Frisk first met him.  
  
    Something was wrong.  
  
    Frisk gaped at Toriel. Not only was she dressed completely differently, with a ragged black tunic adorning the upside-down delta rune and a mad, red tint to her eyes, but she was also acting strange. Her mannerisms seemed so fake.  
  
    “Who are you?” Flowey snarled instantly. There was no way this crazy goat woman was his mother.  
  
    “ _Shut it, weed!_ I was addressing this lovely~ little child.” Toriel turned to Frisk, who was frightened beyond belief. “Greetings, my child. I am Toriel, overseer of these Ruins.”  
  
    “I. . . Um. . .”  
  
    “Oh my! You are new to the Underground, are you not? Come my child, let me guide you through!” She grabbed Frisk’s wrist harshly, tugging the two beyond the doorway.  
  
_“Frisk, this rude old loon can’t be my mom!"_  
  
_“I know, Flowey. We’ll figure this out later.”_  
  
    “It is rude to whisper, my child.” Toriel scolded, glaring down only at Flowey. “Perhaps we should rid you of that hideous flower.”  
  
    “N-no, Miss Toriel! That won’t be necessary!”  
  
    She smiled, tightening her iron grip slightly. “I am glad to hear that, my child. Come now, the Ruins await!"

 

. . .

 

    The Ruins, too, were completely different. Instead of the pretty purple hues that welcomed one in, the dull, dusty reds and yellows clashed aggressively, giving off a sense of warning and danger. Rather than having vibrantly colored leaves to play in near the save point, they were all brown and flaky, like any sort of movement would crush them to dust.

    “The Ruins are full of puzzles, ancient fusions between diversions and door keys. They are rather dangerous. Why not try one out yourself?” Toriel giggled, letting go of their wrist. Unfortunately, Frisk couldn’t quite remember the right code, which caused a painful spike to pierce their foot whenever they got it wrong. After all of that trouble, they were left with 5HP.

    “Wow! You are so smart, my child! How very clever of you!” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

    “Come now, we do not have time to waste!” Toriel gestured towards the doorway.

    “O-oh! Um, yes, Miss Toriel! I just need to-”

    “ _Let us go my child._ ” Toriel hardened her gaze, staring right through Frisk’s soul.

    “Hey! Y-you’re not going to heal them?” Flowey glared right back, faltering slightly when she directed her attention towards him.

    “We. Have. Not. The. Time. Let us move on.”  
   
    Frisk panicked. If they couldn’t save, then how would they survive this deadly, twisted Underground? They hadn’t even made it past the first puzzle yet and they were already at 5HP! They had to do something.

    “Could I. . . Play in the leaves for a bit first?” They asked hesitantly, trying not to anger the goat woman anymore.

    “Fine then. Do as you please. I will be in the other room. Do not ponder, my child.” Toriel exited curtly, throwing a final glance back towards them.

    After she was safely out of the room, Flowey shrieked quietly. “ _She is crazy!_ We’re never going to get out of here!”

    “We’ll. . . Manage.” Frisk sighed, walking over to the save point.

 

_Frisk: LV1_

_Ruins- Dead Leaf Pile_

_HP: 10/20_

  
  
    “Huh?” Frisk tilted their head to the side, reaching for the save point over and over again.  
  
    “What’s wrong?”  
  
    “The save point. I’m only at half health!” Frisk flailed through the bright yellow star, desperately trying to heal up completely.  
  
    “Ugh! What else can go wrong in this stupid world?!” Flowey lamented, annoyed at the lack of knowledge he had here.  
  
    “ ** _My child!_** " Toriel called from the other room. A shiver passed through both Frisk and Flowey as they rushed to the next puzzle.  
  
    “I-I’m c-coming!” Frisk yelped, running so fast that Flowey almost flew off of their arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooooooooh, das not good.


	3. A "Helping" Hand

    After failing several times in the room with the levers, since Toriel did not seem to be in a very helpful mood, Frisk finally found the right combination to lower the spikes on the other side. Toriel halfheartedly congratulated the child's efforts again before proceeding to the next room. Upon entering, Frisk noticed a worn out and broken dummy in the corner. They felt a welling sense of empathy towards the poor dummy and went over to it.  
  
    "That is the training dummy, my child. Feel free to give a good smack!" Toriel explained, punching the dummy straight to the ground. Frisk immediately went over and picked it back up, giving it a small hug. Toriel looked. . . Confused.  
  
    "Let us move on, shall we not?" Toriel brightened, snuffing any sense of empathy she felt for the kind child. Not that there was much there.  
  
    The next room Frisk remembered very well.  
  
    "And this is a bridge of spikes, my child! My personal favorite puzzle! The weaker and dumber monsters die easily on this one~" Toriel laughed heartily.  
  
    "Will I be doing this one alone as well?" Frisk asked in dejection.  
  
    "Oh, uh, of course my child! You have done so well without me!"    
  
    Frisk wanted to cry. However, Toriel wasn't interested in staying long enough to see that.  
  
    "Well, I will be heading on now!" Toriel walked briskly across the bridge, moving out of sight into the next room.  
      
    "How are you going to cross this?" Flowey asked as he made his way to the ground.  
  
    "Me? What about you?"  
  
    "I'm a flower, Frisk. I can travel through the ground. But you, on the other hand, are not a flower, and cannot travel through the ground." Flowey explained sarcastically, making himself somewhat comfortable in the dusty soil.  
      
    "Well, I know that the other room had the solution, but I don't want to mess up again! Those spikes hurt, you know?"  
  
    "Okay, but unless you can find another way across, you're pretty much stuck!" Flowey winked before disappearing into the ground.  
  
    "No way. . ." Frisk exhaled, turning towards the abominable puzzle.  
  


    . . .

  
  
     _Okay, over three, up two, over- OUCH!_  
  
    Frisk winced despairingly towards their feet. How long had they been trying this puzzle? Their HP was noticeably low, but they were too afraid to return to the other room. They had a feeling that the only reason they haven't encountered other monsters yet was because of Toriel's presence. If they went back, who knows what they'd be attacked by? Were the battle mechanics different too? Would they even get a chance to defend themselves?  
  
    Falling to their knees, Frisk thought about staying on the safe space forever. However, when they came closer to the floor of the puzzle, they noticed a path of white fur. Toriel must have left them when she ran across the bridge!  
      
    Crawling slowly, Frisk followed the trail of fur, making sure not to stray too far away from the path they created. They made it! And with only-  
  


_HP: 3/20_

  
  
    "Great." Frisk mumbled, lowering themselves to meet a confused Flowey.  
  
    "Why were you crawling over the spikes?" Flowey asked, climbing back onto Frisk's arm.  
  
    "That doesn't matter. Flowey, I'm only at 3HP! Do you have any _actual_ friendliness pellets? You know, that can heal me?"  
  
    "Unless you want to lose more, no, not really."  
  
    Knowing that they were most likely going die many times over filled Frisk with complete and utter terror.  
  
    "B-but hey! This isn't our world! We don't have to play nice here. It seems like in this place, it really is kill or be killed. No one would blame you if you were protecting yourself." Flowey added, noticing the growing discomfort.  
  
    Hearing Flowey try to get them to kill someone, even in this hopeless place, filled Frisk with Determination.  
  
    "No, Flowey. We _will_ make it out of here. Without hurting a fly, right?"  
  
    "Frisk! That was before I knew what kind of disaster we fell into! We'll never make it out if you try to befriend these demons! I mean look! We've only gotten so far and you're already at 3HP! You need to kill them when you have the chance."  
  
    "We both know that my deaths don't mean anything. I'll always come back."  
  
    "But Frisk-"  
  
    Frisk shook their head, continuing on to the next room. Flowey groaned, knowing that he couldn't talk sense into them when they were this determined. Toriel wasn't waiting to greet them on the other side.  
      
    "Huh? Where is she?" Flowey narrowed his eyes, searching across the long corridor.  
  
    "Do you think she's already at her house?" Frisk wondered, speed walking.  
  
    "Maybe. Or maybe she's- _hidingbehindthatpillartryingtokillyouFRISK!_ " Flowey screamed all too late. In an instant, both were engulfed in a blazing blue flame.  
  


. . .

  
  
    Frisk woke up in the dead leaves, head still pounding. They had to remember to avoid that next time.  
  
    "That _witch!_ " Flowey screeched.  
  
    "Ugh, don't yell so loudly." Frisk grumbled, still trying to shake off the heavy resetting feel.  
  
    "She killed us! She _killed us_ , Frisk! On purpose! Did Toriel ever do that, huh? No! She didn't. Do you still want to spare them now? _Still?_ "  
  
    ". . . I'm sorry."  
  
    Flowey stopped, looking upon the solemn child regretfully. Of course this wasn't easy for them either.  
  
    ". . .It's not your fault. I'm just ranting, it's fine." Flowey sighed.  
  
    " ** _My child!_** " Toriel called from the other room.  
  


. . .

  
  
    Toriel felt. . . odd. She didn't know why this child felt so familiar to her. Not only did they complete all of the puzzles in record time, they were also unable to leave her side. Whenever she tried to move on without them, they would always follow close behind her. It was as if they did not want her to leave them alone. When they had made it to the bridge of spikes, Toriel prepared for her escape.  
  
    "Well, I will be heading on n-" Toriel froze when she felt a light touch on her paw. She looked down at the child, only to see a gentle smile.  
  
    "Let's go together! You're always rushing ahead!" They held on, waiting for her to cross.  
  
    "Um, okay then, my child. If you insist." Toriel murmured, allowing the child to keep their grasp.  
  
    Instead of letting go of her when they crossed the bridge, they followed her into the next corridor. This would not do.  
  
    "My child, I believe that I have assisted you enough. You must learn your independence! Walk to the end on your own. Good luck!"  
  
    Frisk stood for a moment, watching as she disappeared down the long hall. They waited five minutes before walking leisurely down the pathway.  
  
    "You sure are taking your time." Flowey complained as the grand white pillar slowly came into view. "And why are you being so clingy all of the sudden?"  
  
    " _I want to test something_." Frisk whispered as the pillar grew nearer.  
  
   _3_  
_2_  
_1_  
  
    Just then, the fireball flew by, missing Frisk and Flowey by an inch.  
  
    "My child!" Toriel chirped pleasantly, revealing herself from behind the pillar. "It took you quite the time to get here, I was worried that you weren't going to make it. Do not mind the fire! I was just. . . Warding off enemies."  
  
    "It was hard without your help. I was trying not to trip over anything." Frisk smiled innocently. "But I knew you'd never leave me!"  
  
    Toriel felt something pang in her soul. This child. . . They reminded her of something she thought she had long forgotten. She had to get rid of it immediately.  
  
    "Of course not my child! However, I must be going now! I have a _special_ surprise planned for you! Please stay put, my child! I will be back to get you when I have finished my errands!" And with that, she was gone.  
  
    "She didn't leave a cellphone." Flowey noted.  
  
    "Yeah. I guess I'm really on my own now."  
  
    "What am I then?" Flowey asked snidely.  
  
    "Alright, alright. I guess I'm on my own, with you!"  
  
    "Gee thanks." Flowey grumbled as Frisk giggled lightly.  
      
    "I guess we should get going." Frisk walked into the next room, grateful to have another save point, but remembered that there was supposed to be a Froggit in this room as well. There was nothing but dust.  
  
    "Did she kill everyone in the Ruins? We haven't seen another monster yet." Frisk glanced around at the dusty red walls.  
  
    "Well, I guess we won't have to fight anyone." Flowey shrugged.  
  
    But before Frisk could save, their question was answered.  
  


_Froggit jumps in your way!_

  
  
    Frisk noticed that the Froggit looked genuinely hostile, rather than the confusion that they normally showed. Sparing them would be a bit harder.  
  
    "Robbit robbit." The Froggit sent out a spray of flies, only to be dodged by Frisk. While they weren't good at puzzles, they could still evade fairly well.  
  
    "You look super tough today!" Frisk grinned, confusing their fly-filled foe.  
  
    "Meow?" Another burst of flies filled the air.  
  
    "You- are- super- cool!" Frisk shouted, dodging with each word.  
  
    Froggit didn't really understand what they said, but felt kindness in their words. Still, it kept attacking.  
  
    "Huh, that usually works. Okay then, take this!" Frisk somersaulted through the attacks, landing right in front of Froggit. With a small boop on the nose, the Froggit stopped attacking, thoroughly confused.  
  
    "Boop!" Frisk chuckled while the Froggit blushed deeply.  
  


     _SPARE_  


  
  
    The Froggit leaped away, but not before leaving two small golden coins on the floor.  
  
    "So that's how you got all of that money." Flowey watched as Frisk picked up the gold to save for later.  
  
    "Yeah, I always wondered why monsters did that? Well, some of them anyway."  
  
    "Who knows? Just hurry up and save before you die again."  
  
    "Oh, right!" As Frisk touched the sparkling yellow save point, their face fell drastically.  
  
    "What is it now?" Flowey groaned as Frisk flew into a panic again.  
  
    "I have full health."  
  
    "Well, yeah. You didn't hurt yourself after you died. So what, that's a bad thing?"  
  
    "No, I mean, I have full health, just like I'm supposed to when I die, but I'm missing one."  
  
    "What do you mean?"  
  
    "I'm missing one."  
  


_Frisk: LV1_

_Ruins-More Dead Leaves_

_HP: 19/19_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that turned. Also, I just realized that the save point in the last chapter should have said "Entrance", not "Leaf Pile". 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> *sigh* not even my third chapter yet and I'm already failing. . .


	4. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy another chapter! I think every weekend should be a good update time. Maybe two updates? I'm not sure. Prolly not. Ehhhhhhhh. Maybe. Definitely not this week tho.

    "WHAT?!" Flowey's voice echoed loudly off of the brick walls.   
  
    "It says 19/19." Frisk explained again.  
  
    "Oh great. Great! This stupid reset couldn't get anymore. . . Um, uh, STUPID!" Flowey stuttered, too upset to form a proper sentence.  
  
    "Look, I'll be fine. I just have to make sure I don't die again. But what about you? You died too, right? Is your HP okay?"  
  
    Flowey gasped, pulled up his stats, then calmed himself. "No, I'm still good. Looks like it's just you."  
  
    Frisk sighed. They hoped that everything would go back when they made it home. . . But they didn't have a clue on how to get back. What if they couldn't get back? What if they died too many times? What would they do then?   
  
    Pushing their thoughts aside, Frisk walked towards the monster candy room. It'd be helpful for them to heal later. However, when they entered the room, there was no candy. Nothing but left over wrappers and a knocked over bowl. The "Take One" sign had been scratched to pieces, barely legible.   
  
    ". . . I hate this place." Flowey growled.  
  


. . .

  
  
    Frisk went through each room routinely. The talking rock had been a bit more gruff, and the falling puzzles hurt a lot more than they remembered, but there weren't too many other problems. They had even gotten used to battling the strange iterations of monsters in the Ruins.   
      
    After saving once again in the room with the cheese, Frisk prepared themselves to fight Napstablook.   
  
    "z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z. . ." The ghost 'snored' obnoxiously.   
  
    "Um, pardon me." Frisk poked what felt like thick air.  
  
    "z z z z z Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z Z z Z. . ." The ghost pretended not to notice.  
  
    "Would it be okay if you moved? I need to move on." Frisk once again gave the ghost a small poke.  
  
    "Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z. . ."  
  
    "I-  
  
    "why won't you leave me alone?!" Napstablook rose to the ceiling, noticeable red bags fell under their eyes. Instead of having white irises, they were a faded dandelion color.  
  
    "I'm sorry! I was just trying to get past- AH!" A ragged red music note barely missed the child, with Flowey practically dragging their arm to the side.   
  
    "can't you see I'm not really feeling up to it right now?" Napstablook sent a flurry of half and quarter notes, all coming from the comfortable black headphones that somehow stayed on their head.  
  
    "Um- I- Ack- Like your headphones?" Frisk half pointed out, half asked. They were having trouble dodging the sporadic bursts of music notes.  
  
    "nice try. . ." Napstablook scoffed, another litany of notes coming forth.  
  
    "Frisk- do- something!" Flowey's speech was broken by their rapid movements.  
  
    "Um, do you like music?" Frisk figured something familiar would soften his harsh exterior.   
  
    ". . . music?" They stopped, if only for a second, caught off guard.  
  
    "Yeah! You seem to be pretty. . . Into it." Frisk couldn't find any words to describe the music they'd been assaulted with.  
  
    "oh. . . yeah, i guess i am."   
  
    "You are? I love music too! Look." Frisk demonstrated by singing earnestly, if not slightly off-key.   
  
    ". . . heh."  
  
    "It's working! Keep singing badly!" Flowey snickered.  
  
    "Hey!" Frisk continued despite their growing self consciousness.   
  
    "heh heh. . ." Napstablook cheered up considerably. "wow. . . you're really bad."  
  
    "here, let me try. . ." Soft music notes began floating out of their headset, but no damage was taken when they were hit. The sound was. . . Unique. And certainly edgy.  
  
    "That sounds pretty neat!" Frisk clapped.  
  
    "o-oh. . . thanks." And yet another attack was sent. Was this still not enough?  
  
    "Um, hey! Do you think we can be friends?" Frisk stuck out their hand, waiting for a response.  
  


_SPARE_

  
  
    "w-what? i mean, i guess." The music ceased as the room stilled again. Frisk didn't notice how loud it was until the entire Ruins fell silent.  
  
    "normally i come to the ruins because everyone's a huge prick. but today i met someone who was pretty okay." Napstablook shrugged somehow.  
  
    "That's. . . great?"   
  
    "yeah i guess. i'll move now or whatever." And with that, the ghost faded away.  
  
    "Wow. I can't believe they didn't kill you. Maybe you can get back without killing anyone." Flowey looked impressed.  
  
    "You bet! I told you I'll be fine, I just have to be caref- UWAGH!!!" Almost as if on cue, Frisk tripped over a rather large spider, faceplanting to the ground.  
  
    The arachnid squeaked aggressively, shaking one of its legs as if it were a fist, then continued over to the spider bake sale. Frisk had been collecting gold over time and felt that having a healing item would come in handy. Also, if they lived long enough, they could skip Muffet's battle. The spider webs were full of fresh baked treats in a wider variety than they remembered.   
  
    "Wait, 50 G for a spider donut?! That's insane!" Flowey looked about ready to fight the entire Underground.  
  
    "Um, what could I get for 10 G?" Frisk waited hopefully.  
  
    All of the spiders crawled away, refusing to serve the broke child. Only one young spider in the corner of the room stayed put, with its slightly misshapen pastries.   
  
    "Aww! I'll buy one from you! But, is 10 G alright?" The spider nodded firmly, feeling relieved that it could actually sell anything.   
  
    "Thank you! Even though it isn't the prettiest, I'm sure it'll taste great! Keep at it!" Frisk waved as they went on to the next room. The small spider lit up with the compliment, the first one it had received since trying to start its business in the Ruins with the older spiders. It decided not to forget the kind child who complimented its baking. . .   
  


. . .

  
  
    After more falling, spikes, levers, and switches, Frisk and Flowey finally made it to the entrance to Toriel's home. The dead tree looked more lifeless here, with the brown and decaying trees scattered around it.   
  
    "Ah! My child! You finally made it to my home. I was beginning to worry that you. . . Never mind that. Come inside now!" Toriel smiled awkwardly before retreating into her home.   
  
    Frisk stood by the save point, wondering how their HP would be messed up this time. They had lost a total of 7HP from Napstablook and the puzzles.   
  


_Frisk: LV1_

_Ruins- Dusty Home_

_HP: 12/19_

  
  
    "Huh, so it only heals if you have less than half of your health." Frisk noticed.  
  
    "Stupid world mechanics." Flowey rolled his eyes.  
  


. . .

  
  
    The inside of Toriel's house was just as they had remembered it, besides the change in color. The normally beige interior was instead a charcoal color.   
  
    "Here, come this way." Toriel lead Frisk into a dark yellow hallway. She opened the door nearest to them.  "This room is for you, my child! Why not have a look around?"  
      
    Frisk took two small steps forward. This room was a deep shade of maroon. A small bin of toys that didn't really appeal to Frisk at all sat by a twin sized bed draped with a comfortable looking blanket. There was a faded red patterned rug on the hard wood floor that looked somewhat orange in the comfortable, yellow lamp light. Some fluffy stuffed animals sat next to the bedside.  
  
    "You must be tired from your journey. Why not rest for now?"   
  
    "Thank you, Miss Toriel! I'm really glad you're letting me stay. It's nice to have some sort of a family while I'm down here!" Frisk grinned.  
  
    ". . . Family." Her voice was barely audible.  
  
    "Pardon?"   
  
    "No, it's nothing, my child. Rest for now." The door shut softly.  
  
    Flowey looked around the room, feeling a warped sense of nostalgia. This was his room, yet not his room. That was his mother, yet not his mother. Where was he right now? Although he felt safe, he was also on edge. It was a strange feeling, that's for sure.  
  
    "Well, goodnight Flowey!" Frisk hopped onto the bed after setting their companion down on the floor.  
  
    "You're not really going to sleep, are you? Do you really trust her enough to not kill you in your sleep?"   
  
    "It'll be fine, Flowey. Maybe if I go to sleep. . . I can wake up and this whole thing would have been just one big dream. Maybe. . ."   
  
    ". . . Fine. I'll keep watch then."   
  
    "Thanks Flowey. Goodnight!"  
  
    "Whatever."  
  
    Frisk began snoring slightly, hugging one of the stuffed animals. With a flick of his vines, Flowey switched off the lamp. Now all he had to do was stay awake. Not hard, all things considered.  
  
     He began to think about what would happen when they made it to the surface; this surface. He thought about how he would have enjoyed the entertainment of Frisk trying to survive in this world before. He thought about the horrible things that he had done and how he deserved this. He thought and thought until his thoughts were interrupted.   
  
    A crack of light shined through the door, which was now slightly ajar. Toriel walked into the room, a small fire blazing on her palm. She looked hesitant, but continued forward. Just as Flowey was about wake Frisk, a threatening look was thrown his way. If he said anything, he knew he'd be burnt to a crisp.   
  
    "Goodbye. . . My child." Toriel's flame grew bigger and bigger. It would all end here. It should have ended there.   
  
    ". . ." She extinguished the blazing fire. Something pounded in her soul, a dark but happy feeling. She wouldn't have to be alone anymore. Yes, she could have a family again. A family. . .   
  
    " _ **A family.**_ " Toriel spoke softly with a crazed look in her eye.   
  
    She would keep this child. . .  
  
      
      
      
    They wouldn't leave her like the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A family.


	5. A Mother's Love

    Frisk woke up to a strange smelling sweetness. It was kind of, sort of reminiscent of the butterscotch-cinnamon pie that they knew so well, but it was a bit more. . . Burnt. And a lot more cinnamon-y. In fact, could they even smell any butterscotch? Not really. Frisk opened their inventory and saved the pie for later. Upon checking its info, it was revealed to be a burnt cinnamon pie, healing only 10HP.  
  
    "Hey, welcome back from dream land. How was your near dirt nap?" Flowey asked sarcastically.  
  
    "Did she really try to kill me again. . . " Frisk didn't even have to ask. Flowey looked like he only slept for a few minutes.  
  
    "Yeah, but then she said something about a family and practically skipped out of the room. I feel like she's getting too attached, which means it's time for us to skedaddle."  
  
    Frisk thought for a moment. Sure, she wasn't as caring or maternal as their Toriel was, but she seemed a bit lonely. As if she was purposely trying to distance herself from Frisk. Yes, she was trying to kill them, but wouldn't it make sense for her to gain their trust first? She was trying not to get attached on purpose. Because she knew that they would leave her too. And yet they still tried to bond with her, they still persisted. Frisk felt horrible. How were they going to fix this?  
  
    "Hey. . . HEY!" Flowey snapped his nonexistent fingers. "Are you even listening?"  
  
    "Huh?"  
  
    "Ugh, never mind. Just try to make sure you don't die again."  
  
    "Okay, I'll try." 

. . .

  
  
    Toriel had never baked anything before. It was a surprise that she could even manage the burnt, yet edible, pie. Perhaps she would do this more often. However, now was not the time to think about her new found culinary art. Toriel glanced at the clock for the fifth time that minute. When was her child going to wake again? It was strange looking forward to having company. She hadn't had any since. . .  
  
    Well, regardless. Toriel went to light the fireplace again, even though it couldn't possibly be bigger without risk of the house burning down. She wanted the place to feel safe and warm so that the child wouldn't complain about being cold, then try to leave her. Looking towards the pantry, she had made sure to fill it to the brim with snacks she bought while they were away. Now they wouldn't groan about hunger and try to escape. Toriel melted off the tops of her fireplace tools. Now there wouldn't be any 'dangerous' objects lying around to frighten the child, making them want to leave her.  
  
    Yes, she had everything planned out. They would be happy here, together, forever. Surely, this child would understand her loneliness and strife. Surely, they would not try to leave her alone again, waiting years upon years for who knows how long, hoping for another to fall down. Surely. . . They would stay.  
  
    A small creak of a door alerted Toriel. They were awake now! Toriel rushed to sit down in her chair and act as if she wasn't hurriedly pacing across the room. With a kind, generous, and welcoming smile, Toriel looked up from her book she grabbed in haste and greeted the child.  
  
    "You are awake I see!"

. . .

  
  
    Frisk shuddered at the cloyingly sweet tone. They looked up to see Toriel smiling rather suspiciously. No matter, they were going to befriend her, if it was the last thing they did. Well, they certainly hoped it wouldn't be the last thing they did.  
  
    "H-hello, Miss Toriel!" Frisk stuttered slightly.  
  
    "Oh now, my child! There is no need for such formalities!" Toriel giggled. "Now, I hope you are prepared! I have such fun waiting for us!"  
  
    "Of course!" Frisk beamed. She was giving them an opportunity to bond before they left! Maybe this would be easier then they thought. . .  
  
    "Uh, no. We're leaving n-" Flowey froze when a sudden glare caught his eyes.  
  
    " _Pesky weed. . . **Are you trying to take my child away from me?**_ " Toriel's flames grew hotter.  
  
    "Um, uh, no no! Of course not, Mom!" Frisk gasped at their accidental word choice. The room went from blazing hot to a light warmness.  
  
    "Mom? Is that what you said, my child? Oh goodness! Oh goodness me, you are quite the bold child, are you not? Well, if that is what you prefer! You may indeed see me as your mother!" Toriel laughed with a hint of the monster she used to be. Not at all insane or ruthless. Just. . . alone.  
  
    "Well, Mom, could you read me something from the book you have there?" Frisk pointed at the faded black and red book Toriel held tightly. The title read 'Snail Stories: Fairy Tale Edition'. It seemed like a whimsical book.  
  
    "Oh, why of course, my child! Here, let me see. . ." Toriel flipped through the book until she found something satisfying. "Ah yes, The Ugly Snail. ' _Once upon a time, there was an ugly snail. He was so ugly, that everyone died._ ' The end!"  
  
    "Huh, that sounds oddly familiar. . ." Frisk, for some reason, thought of an undersea sponge and a starfish.  
  
    "Reading a story together, we really do feel like a family! Do we not, my child?"  
  
    " _Some family I've ever seen. . ._ "  
  
    " **What was that?** "  
  
    "Flowey!"  
  
    "N-nothing! I didn't say anything!"

. . .

  
  
    Toriel retreated into the kitchen to make dinner. She was extremely skilled in this area, at least. Just not baking. Before she could start, however, Frisk entered the kitchen as well.  
  
    "Oh, of course you can help, my child! Aww, so eager to help their mother out~"  
  
    Truthfully, Frisk just wanted to monitor what was going into their food. But they didn't mind helping out either. Maybe it could be like Mettaton's cooking show, only less deadly. Hopefully less deadly.  
  
    It started out a bit rough, as Toriel tried to put Flowey into the stew as well, but eventually, Frisk began to have fun. Dicing up the vegetables, watching everything boil and bubble. When she thought everything tasted good and right, Toriel dished out two bowls, then begrudgingly a third one, of the stew. It was actually really nice, eating together in such a nice warm house. And yet, the more comfortable Frisk got, the more their soul ached to leave. They were missing their house and the surface. What if everyone was still up there, waiting for them? They would be so worried. . .  
  
    "Miss Toriel."  
  
    "You can just call me mom, my child! Just as you have been doing!"  
  
    ". . . can't. . ."  
  
    "What was that, my child? Speak up now. Would you like seconds?"  
  
    "I. . . Can't. I can't stay here."  
  
    Toriel's smile shattered instantly. She looked down at the crying child, trying to find some kind of reason for their want to leave.  
  
    "But _why_ , my child?! **_Why?!_** I did everything right this time! I did it all! You are not cold, or hungry, or in danger! You are not sick, or suffering, or frightened! WHAT IS IT THAT I HAVE DONE WRONG?! EVERY SINGLE CHILD, I-"  
  
    "It was nothing you did, Miss Toriel. I just. . . I miss my home."  
  
    Toriel's eyes flashed with madness and anger. They wouldn't leave her. They couldn't leave her. They can't. Not again. Not again. Not again! Her surroundings blurred heavily with tears. They couldn't leave her. They couldn't. . .  
  
    Not without an exit.  
  
    Toriel dashed off towards her basement, quickly followed by Frisk and Flowey. Her fire had already spread to her fingertips, just a quick shot at the door and-  
  
    "STOP! Please! I need to go home!" Frisk's echoes reverberated off of the walls. She paid it no mind as she struck the door with a blazing blue fireball.  
  
    "Please! I'm sorry! I have to get home!" Frisk's pleads grew closer. Another fireball weakened the door's structure.  
  
    "I have to go home!" Frisk ran, out of breath, behind the goat woman. She turned around with the saddest smile Frisk had ever seen, but her tears were off put by the increasing craziness that overcame her.  
  
    "Home. . .? This. . . This is your home!" Toriel cackled in spite of herself.  
  
    "Please. I need to leave."  
  
    " _YOU CANNOT LEAVE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY LEGS! AHA HAH HA HAH HA!~_ " Toriel threw a giant, condensed flame at the two. Frisk barely dodged, feeling the scorch of the flames on their arm.  
  


_Toriel blocks your way._

  
  
    Frisk knew talking would be useless here, but they were also unsure of whether they could last it out. They couldn't die here. They didn't want to go through all of this again.  
  
    "You are just like the others. . ." Toriel shook her head, grinning still. "Nothing will satisfy you, IS THAT NOT CORRECT?!" A barrage of fire surrounded them. Frisk backed into the wall.  
  
    "They always leave me, ALWAYS!" _10/19 HP_  
  
    "Why are they not satisfied?" _8/19 HP_  
  
    "WHY DO YOU ALL LEAVE ME?!" _4/19 HP_  
  
    "Please, we don't have to fight!" Frisk cowered, pleading to reason with her.  
  
    "SILENCE!" Toriel threw another.  
  
     _1/19 HP_  
  
    "JUST STAY WITH ME, STAY HERE-"  
  


_Toriel: 439/440 HP_

  
  
    Toriel gaped at the child, a rock held firmly in their hand and their head low.  
  
    They hit her.  
  
    They. . .  
  
    "ENOUGH!" Toriel lunged towards Frisk, who evaded quickly. With a light tap on her shoulder, she fell to the ground, and they sprinted towards the door.  
  
    "W-wait! Stay, will you not?" Toriel sat shaking, unable to stand for some reason. Frisk hesitated.  
  
    "You do not have to leave! We can be a family, my child! Please!"  
  
    ". . . I'm sorry, Mom." Frisk opened to door, dashing through to the other side.  
  
    "WAIT NO! PLEASE! MY CHILD!" Toriel sobbed, reaching towards the exit to no avail.  
  
    " **MY CHILD!** " Her shrieks echoed down the corridor, shaking the foundation. Frisk closed the door behind them, then sprinted off again. Toriel's attacks had made it far too unstable to open again.  
  
    When they were sure they weren't followed, Frisk sat for a moment. Snowdin would be on the other side, but they were running on 1HP. They opened their inventory and ate the cinnamon pie, choking slightly on how hot it was. How long had it taken her to make this? They crouched against the wall, head in their arms.  
  
    "I'm sorry. . ." They cried. 

 

 

  
    _I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was unfortunate. . .
> 
> Hey, we're headed to Snowdin! Woop woop!


	6. Snowy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! I did it! Two chapters guise, two chapters. . . 
> 
>  
> 
> Can I next week? Find out next time on Dragonball-

    Frisk stepped out into the cold, snowy land. Flowey was shivering viciously, hissing at every snowflake that dared to come closer. They had gotten so used to the warmness of Toriel's home, that they weren't prepared for the onslaught of frost.  
  
    "K-k-keep w-walking, id-d-iot." Flowey chattered.  
  
    "I-it's t-too cold-d-d!" Frisk shuddered.  
  
     Even though their warm sweater got them through their Snowdin, this one seemed much worse. Their fingers were going numb, gripping tightly on their other sleeve. For a split second, they thought about going back and burning in Toriel's flames, but they quickly decided against it. They couldn't quit now. They had to keep moving forward.

 

 

_SNAP!_

  
  
    A branch had cracked behind them, although oddly enough, they don't remember stepping on one hard enough to break it. This forest was also starting to creep them out. The thick evergreens were covered in heaps of snow, all having a light crimson tint to them. Was everything going to be red here?  
  
    The more steps they took, the more footsteps echoed behind them. Eventually, a sturdy wall stood in their way, but the gaps in between looked just big enough for them to squeeze through. However, a red ping caught their soul, adding a lead-like feeling in their legs. The footsteps closed in as heavy presence loomed behind them. _It's just Sans. It's just Sans. It's just Sans._  
  
    " **B r a t.** " The voice was gruff and gravelly.  
  
     _It'sjustanangrySans, it'sjustanangrySans, it'sjustanangrysans, it's-EEK!_ A bone flew past Frisk's face, making a shallow cut. Unable to turn around, they continued staring straight forward, not moving an inch.  
  
    " **N o  r e s p o n s e? Heh. Quit acting tough. Why don'cha turn around and shake my hand?** "  
  
    Frisk glanced at Flowey, who made a slight frown under the red magic's pressure. He mouthed three little words.  
  
     _Run you idiot!_  
  
    Losing at least 5HP, Frisk dashed through the wall's holes, sprinting away from the gate. Instead of having a conveniently shaped lamp to hide behind, Frisk noticed that there was only the sentry station, nothing more to hide in. Since it was their only chance at survival, they hopped into it, hiding as low to the snowy ground as possible. For some reason, it was warm in here.  
  
    "SAAAAAAANNNSSSSSSSSSSSS!" A growl pierced Frisk's ears, and whatever Flowey heard out of. That voice could only be. . .  
  
    "heya boss. wazzup?"  
  
    "YOU WERE LATE IN MEETING ME! WHAT IF A HUMAN FELL DOWN HERE? HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT KILLING THEM? I SWEAR YOU ARE USELESS!"  
  
    "heh, ya ain't wrong. just lost one actually. they might be hiding right now, as we speak." For some reason, Frisk felt as if they were being watched.  
  
    "A HUMAN? HERE? **AND YOU LOST THEM?!** "  
  
    "yup. fun times. but don't worry, i did something useful. they're prolly dyin' somewhere, who knows?"  
  
    "SANS! IF THE HUMAN DIES NOW, THEN HOW WILL THEY BE TRAPPED IN MY AMAZING PUZZLES AND ADMIRE MY MAGNIFICENCE? YOUR ABSENTMINDEDNESS WILL COST ME A FAN!"  
  
    "well hey, ya still have like, two, right?"  
  
    " **GET ME THAT HUMAN!** "  
  
    "a'ight, a'ight. i'll give ya a hint. they're in the sentry station."  
  
    " _THAT TRASHBAG._ " Flowey half whispered, half screamed.  
  
    "OH? IS THAT SO? **HUMAN! REVEAL YOURSELF!** "  
  
    In spite of Flowey's protests, Frisk stood, waiting to be speared. Oddly enough, there was no bone in their throat. Looking now, it was certainly him. But he looked a lot. . . Edgy-er. His normal white, round battle body was instead angular and jet black. His eye sockets, too, were narrow and triangle shaped, and his mouth was jagged. He wore black skinny jeans held up by a gold-plated belt and matte red boots and gloves. His scarf looked worse for wear. Was this really the Papyrus they knew and lo- _ahem_ , admired?  
  
    Oh, and similarly, Sans was wearing a black, fluffy jacket. He had dark red bags under his eyes, and a golden tooth. His shorts were lined with a golden color instead of white, and he wore sneakers instead of pink slippers. Underneath of his jacket, he wore a red turtleneck sweater. But these were minor details. Either way, he didn't seem to think highly of Frisk.  
  
    ". . .SANS."  
  
    " 'sup boss?"  
  
    "WHAT IS THAT?"  
  
    " 's a human."  
  
    "IT LOOKS LIKE A CHILD."  
  
    "so what?"  
  
    ". . . WE CAN'T KILL IT YET!"  
  
    "what."  
  
    "What?"  
  
    "Whew."  
  
    "DON'T BE RELIEVED YET, FLOWER! WE CAN'T KILL IT YET BECAUSE I'LL GET NO GLORY FROM KILLING A KID! I'LL BE RUINED! I HAVE TO LET IT GET TO FULL FIGHTING POTENTIAL FIRST!"  
  
    "sounds like ya just don't-"  
  
    "HUMAN! FOLLOW ME AT ONCE SO I MAY TEST YOUR PUZZLE PROWESS!"  
  
    "Uh, okay. . . May know your name first?" Even though Frisk already knew, they thought it would be weird to use it with seemingly no prior knowledge.  
  
    "HM. . . YOU MAY CALL ME, THE GRAND AND ABSOLUTE, TERRIBLE AND CUNNING, CLEVER AND WITTY, STUNNING-"  
  
    "papyrus."  
  
    "SANS! UGH, WHATEVER. YES, YOU MAY REFER TO ME AS 'PAPYRUS'. BUT MAKE SURE TO SAY GREAT AT LEAST!"  
  
    "Of course, Great and Terrible Papyrus!" Frisk giggled softly, then sneezed. They almost forgot how cold they were with the death threats and all.  
  
    "IT'S COLD SANS! GIVE IT SOMETHING WARM!"  
  
    "maybe failing your traps will make it warmer."  
  
    "EXCELLENT IDEA! COME HUMAN! AND MAKE SURE TO HURRY! NYAH HA HA HA HA!" And with that, Papyrus sprinted off to the next puzzle. Sans, however, was not as amused.  
  
    "heh, i'd be sure not to mess with my boss. unless. . . **Y o u  w a n t  m e  t o  h a v e  a  g r e a t  t i m e.** " Sans snickered at Frisk's horrified expression before snapping his phalanges, shortcutting to his brother. Frisk laughed meekly, slumping to the ground.  
  
    "Ugh, still can't stand Smiley Trashbag. Only here, he's even more annoying!" Flowey bristled, glaring at the empty space that used to be Sans.  
  
    "Of course he'd be mad at me, even in this world." Frisk sighed.  
  
    "Hey, it's not like this was your fault. And how would he know about a promise that you made him in another universe?"  
  
    "I know, I know. I still feel responsible though. And it's not as if I ended on great terms with Mom, I mean, Miss Toriel. I really want to try and make things right."  
      
    "She was insane, there was really nothing else you could have done." Flowey shook his head. "No, instead, you should just focus on getting out of here. Do you really believe these jerks deserve to go to the surface?"  
  
    ". . . You said it yourself, Flowey. She was insane. Not necessarily a bad monster. And Papyrus still seems really cool in this universe!"  
  
    "Okay, just because you had a one sided crush on our Papyrus doesn't mean that you can just move onto the next one. Besides, this one looks all. . . Edgy."  
  
    "Edgy is cool."  
  
    "Stop."  
  
    "Okay, okay. But seriously, he saved me. He could have just killed me right then and there! But he didn't."  
  
    "Seriously? That's all it takes? Man, no wonder you met all of his standards."  
  
    "S-shut up."  
  
    "Oh whatever. Hurry up to the next save point before I strangle myself."  
  
    "Sounds good!"  
  
    Walking up to the save point, Frisk was almost afraid to save. But with the way the save pattern had been going, they should be able to calculate what would happen and not be shocked. That was getting old. _So, the save point takes away 1HP every time I die. I haven't died again, so I should still have 19HP total. Now, I swear I lost 5HP from that attempt earlier. I had 11, so I should only have 6 left. But I don't know how much I'll heal, because half of 19 is an odd number. But maybe, it'll just round to the nearest. . ._  
  
    "Are you going to save or what?" Flowey gave the child a small smack on the face.  
  
    "Huh? Oh, right." Frisk waved their hand through the save point.

 

 

_Frisk: LV1_

  

_Snowdin: Sentry Passing_

  

_HP: 9/19_

  
  
    "Okay kinda half. Consistent at least."  
  
    "Good thing too. I might have lost it if one more thing went wrong."  
  
    "It's okay, Flowey. I'm only missing one HP! I can dodge my way out of the rest."  
  
    "Hmph. Whatever. I only care because you're my only way out of here."  
  
    "Sure, sure."


	7. Puzzles (?) and Red Magic

    Heading on forward, Frisk found the box that magically teleported their items back and forth between other boxes. Inside of it was a tougher glove.

  
_Tougher Glove: Attack +6_  
_A cool looking finger less glove made out of the roughest, toughest leather._

  
  
    Even though Frisk wasn't fighting anyone, they took it anyway, giving them a possibility for extra gold later on. Flowey was still shivering on Frisk's shoulder, just trying not to freeze to death. He had no idea how Frisk was just gallivanting around as if they weren't completely surrounded in snow.  
  
    "H-hey! I t-thought you we-ere as c-cold as I w-was!" Flowey grumbled.  
  
    "Well, I don't know why, but the thought of completing Papyrus's puzzles just warms me up!" Frisk smiled as they examined the hand-crafted sentry station. Poking around further, they found a tiny note on one of it's walls.

 

 

_HUMAN! I SEE YOU'VE FOUND THIS AMATEUR, SHABBY SENTRY STATION. MY LAZY BROTHER SANS MADE IT ENTIRELY, SO IT'S POOR STATE IS ALL HIS TO BLAME! I DID NOT HELP IN CONSTRUCTING THIS, NOR DID I FEEL A SENSE OF BROTHERLY COMPANIONSHIP ~~AS WE WORKED ON IT~~ I WATCHED HIM BUILD IT. SO DON'T GO AROUND SAYING THAT!_

_\- THE TERRIBLE AND CUNNING PAPYRUS_

  
    "Ack! He's still too pure!" Frisk faked a wince as they grabbed at the chest in a mock-anguished way.  
      
    "Are you going to be like this the entire time? Because I'm walking away right now if you are." Flowey forced himself to stop his shiver spree just to relate his intense sarcasm.  
  
    "Hey, if it gets you to stop shivering." Frisk winked towards the completely unamused flower.  
  
    " **Who said that? Who's there?!** " A bark called out from the station.  
  
    Without realizing it, Frisk had walked up to Doggo's sentry station while they were joking around with Flowey. They froze, neither of the two making another peep.  
  
    "Where? Where'd you go? Where? Where?" Doggo walked around the snow, sniffing the surroundings carefully. His red magic attacks were flying everywhere, spreading out to a radius big enough to hit some unfortunate and unaware monsters nearby.  
  
    "I know you're here somewhere!" Frisk went to try and pet him, but Doggo quickly pounced on the slight movement, sending all of the attacks in that direction. Frisk was forced to stay put again. But at this rate, Doggo would find them either way.  
  
    Suddenly, Frisk jumped up and yelled. They created a commotion and ran left to right. Flowey tried hard to stay frozen in place, silently cursing his existence. What on earth could they be doing?  
  
    "I'm over here! Hi! Hey! Look! Look!" Frisk ran around the confused dog, inching closer with each step.  
  
    "Wha-? What? Who's there?! Hey! Stop moving around so much!" Doggo growled as he sent random blasts of red magic around the perimeter.  
  
    "Look! I just want to talk!" Frisk stopped suddenly.  
  
    "Argh! Now you aren't moving at all? Make up your mind!"  
  
    "I'm sorry to have startled you."Frisk half whispered. They were only a foot away from him.  
  
    "You're close, I can hear you!"  
  
    "Here, I'll let you see where I am. But let me talk, please." Frisk waved their hand slowly.  
  
    "There!" Doggo shot another attack. Frisk instantly stopped moving again.  
  
    "I can't speak if you keep throwing those at me."  
  
    "I'm not interested in what you have to say! You were hiding, you're an enemy, and enemies are bad!"  
  
    "But I'm not an enemy! I came to give you something!"  
  
    "Oh? And what's that?" Frisk made careful steps towards Doggo before finally placing a small hand on his head.  
  
    "You're a good boy!"  
  
    "PETS?! PET? PET? PAT? POT? PAT? PUT?" Doggo hopped up and down.  
  
SPARE  
  
    "Oh, I see! I see! You are good, whatever you are. Move along now!" Doggo saluted as he jumped back into his station. "And maybe next time we can play fetch!"

 

. . .

  
  
    Sliding along the ice, Frisk skid towards the snowman area. Although they were almost sure the snowman couldn't survive in this harsh world, they still wanted to check it out. Sure enough, their snowy friend was not to be found. Just a useless pile of snow.  
  
    Frisk moved on, heading towards the snowball game. They were quite efficient and even earned a good amount of gold. The red flag of determination would consistently appear for them. However, when they got there, they found that the snowball wasn't well packed together. It fell apart the second they tried to move it. No gold here.  
  
    After their failed attempt of snowball prowess, Frisk looked over to the Dog Marriage sign in hopes of having some sort of smell reading to go off of. The sign read:  


_Smell warnings: Forget warnings! If it's not familiar,_

_**E N D  I T.** _

  
  
    "Okay, that's helpful."

. . .

  
  
    After walking for a good while, Frisk found a note left by Papyrus on the floor.  
  
_HUMAN! THIS NOTE WAS CLEVERLY MADE BY ME, THE GREAT AND ABSOLUTE PAPYRUS (WHO IS ALSO CUNNING AND CLEVER). NOW THAT YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT ~~THIS IS A TRAP~~ THIS IS NOT A TRAP AND YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE DISTRACTED BY IT._  
  
    While Frisk was grinning at the note, they failed to notice the oncoming net that surrounded them. Surely enough, he had actually put a trap underneath the note that was time sensitive. Now they were stuck in a thickly woven net, unable to free themselves through force. Flowey tunneled through the ground, made it outside of the net, then laughed for a whole minute before trying to help the child. His friendliness pellets sliced through the rope with ease.  
  
    "Stop laughing!" Frisk sheepishly pulled off the remainder of the next and threw it at Flowey.  
  
    "Ouch! What? No 'thank you' for getting you out?"  
  
    " _Thank you_. But anyway, that was weird. I actually got caught in one of Papyrus's traps. Does this mean these puzzles will actually be challenging?"  
  
    "Maybe, maybe not. But you could have easily avoided that if you just ignored the letter."  
  
    "That would be rude."  
  
    Flowey sighed as the two moved on. There was a plate of lasagna on the table, and another little note. Flowey snatched it up before Frisk could waste any more time. The lasagna was frozen solid, completely stuck to the table, and had no microwave or any means of reheating it. Next to it was a save point.

 

 

_Frisk: LV1_

_Snowdin- Lasagna_

_HP: 9/19_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a short one, sorry! Inspiration will definitely be with me for the next chapter though! Good fun to be had with Papyru and his puzzles.


	8. Shapes and Colors

    "WAH!" Frisk barely jumped out of the way of the swinging axes.  
  
    "What're those smells?"  
        "Where're those smells?"  
  
    Frisk had rolled around in the dirt and snow three times already, but still had no success. Their sense of smell was completely untrickable! How were they going to get away?  
  
    "Do you want to play fetch?" A blast of red magic told Frisk that they weren't interested.  
  
    "If you're the smells-"  
        "Eliminate yoursmellves."  
  
    Frisk looked around to see if they could find any scent stronger than theirs. Flowey was going to get hit eventually, and they weren't going to stand for that. Frisk completely buried themselves in the snow, not letting a single hair be uncovered. They heard Dogamy and Dogaressa stop and sniff around.   
  
    "Where'd they go?"  
        "Did they run off?"  
  
    Waiting until they got closer, Frisk was completely still under their blanket of snow. They waited until just the right moment. . . Now!  
  


_ACT: Pet_

  
  
    "Huh? Where'd that come from?"  
        "Hey, don't leave me out!"  
  


_ACT: Pet_

  
  
    "Pet by thin air!"  
        "How strange! Wait no. . ." Dogamy and Dogaressa sniffed again.   
  
    "It's those smells!"  
        "They're good smells!"  
  


_SPARE_

  
  
    "Clear this smell."  
        "This smell is cleared." The doggy duo rushed off to spread the word about their amazing discovery.   
  
    "Whew. That was close!" Frisk brushed the excess snow off of their clothing.   
  
    "I'll say! It took you long enough!" Flowey shivered.   
  
    "Well, at least we got away." Frisk checked their stats.  
  
 _HP: 4/19_  
  
    Frisk sighed as they continued forward. They looked down at the orange triangles confused. Normally, they just had to stand on the X's and turn them into O's in order to lower the spikes on the other side. Triangles meant that they had stepped on them too many times.  
  
    "What?" Frisk walked onto one of the triangles. It turned into a red X. They stepped on the X. It turned into a blue O. They did the same thing to the other red triangle, then stepped on the pressure plate. The spikes on the other side lowered.  
  
    "Huh. Okay then."  
  


. . .

  
  
    Papyrus was waiting for them on the other side, standing in his normal cool pose and looking down at his watch. Funny, Frisk didn't remember seeing him with a watch earlier. Papyrus turned towards them and tapped his foot.  
  
    "HUMAN! YOU'RE LATE! LUCKILY FOR YOU, I, THE TERRIBLE AND WICKED PAPYRUS, HAVE JUST FINISHED MY PUZZLE! I WON'T BE SO GENEROUS NEXT TIME!"   
  
    The puzzle was in the shape of Papyrus's face, right down to the triangular eyes and jagged mouth. It was already frozen over completely solid, which meant that there was no way he had finished it just now. Frisk clutched their chest and made a stern promise to themselves to complete the puzzle without Papyrus's help. It was the least they could do after having him wait for so long.   
  
    Frisk studied every inch and parameter of the puzzle. They made careful and precise movements, not messing up a single time! Sure, this was harder than the one they remembered, but nothing was impossible for a crush-driven child filled with determination. Papyrus looked completely impressed.   
  
    "WOWIE! ER, I MEAN- PAH! I COULD HAVE DONE THAT IN HALF OF THE TIME IT TOOK YOU! HOWEVER, I WILL CONGRATULATE THE FACT THAT YOU ACTUALLY COMPLETED IT, DESPITE BEING AN INFERIOR HUMAN! PROCEED IF YOU DARE. . . NYA HA HA HA!" And with that, Papyrus skidded off to the next puzzle.  
  
    "What a jerk! He couldn't even compliment you properly! Right, Fri-"  
  
    "He's so cool!" They beamed.  
  
    ". . . You're a lost cause."  
  
    "heh, ya got that right, dandelion." Sans grinned as the two jumped in fear. "wow, that's not a nice way to greet a friend."  
  
    "What do you want, Trashbag?" Flowey glared.  
  
    "nothin'. just congratulating ya over your 'accomplishment'."  
  
    "That didn't sound like a compliment."   
  
    "and you don't sound like a threat. so i guess we're even." Frisk had to hold Flowey back from attacking the cackling skeleton.   
  
    "W-well. . . You don't have to worry about us being a threat! Not at all! I promise. . ." Frisk spoke sincerely, reminiscing on their memories of the surface.   
  
    " **Ya better not be, brat.** " Sans loomed over them for a split second before disappearing in a blink.  
  
    Frisk stared downcast at the snowy ground, wondering how they would patch things up with someone they didn't even know. Was it true that grudges transferred over into different universes? It seemed like it. Actually, they didn't even know if this _was_ a different universe, or where they were even. I mean sure, they could eventually be on good terms with _this_ Sans, but would they with theirs? And in the first place, this wasn't their fault to begin with. Whatever would happen, Frisk knew one thing for sure. They weren't going to kill anyone, no matter what that cost would be.  
  
    "Hey, don't listen to that smiley freak. You're just trying your best." Flowey pat the child on their head with his vine.   
  
    "Aww, look! You really do care!" Frisk nuzzled up to the flower's petals.  
  
    "Alright, alright! Quit being dumb."   
  
    ". . . Thanks Flowey."  
  
    ". . .You idiot. We're in this together, aren't we? Might as well make sure you're not moping all over the place." Flowey shrugged his vines in nonchalance. In truth, though, he was happy to have the company.   
  
    "Sure~" Frisk winked.    
  
    "Ruin the moment, why not?" Flowey rolled his eyes.  
  
    "We're in this together, aren't we?" Frisk laughed, appreciating the lighthearted atmosphere. They really needed it.  
  


. . .

  
  
    The color puzzle was beginning to form. Frisk took careful mental notes just in case they actually had to solve it this time. However, instead of generating a real puzzle or a straight path to the other side, a bunch of black squares appeared. Black?  
  
    "WHAT? THIS BLASTED MACHINE! IT MUST BE BROKEN! NOW THERE'S NO WAY TO CROSS!"  
  
    "Are you sure? Maybe I can-" Frisk stepped forward onto one of the black tiles. As soon as they did, they felt as if their energy was being sapped right out of them. The world turned dark, and the last thing Frisk heard was a gasp of shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A single chapter. Looks like it'll either be one or two each week, depending on what gets done. However! I can guarantee at least one each week (probably). See ya then!


	9. Chapter 9

    Waking up with a start, Frisk found themselves sprawled out on the snow, right next to the table with the frozen lasagna. Their head was still pounding from the sudden black out. . .   
  
    Black. . .   
  
    "Flowey? What happened?"  Frisk looked over at their shoulder to see the concerned flower.  
  
    "You're finally awake! I'm not really sure what happened. . . You fell on the floor, but we didn't reset until Smiley Trashbag gave you a bone through the soul. Papyrus was pretty shocked."   
  
    "He. . . Killed me? I didn't feel anything, really, I just. . . fainted, I guess?"  
  
    "Not only that, but just now, you were completely knocked out. It's been at least five minutes!"   
  
    "Weird. I guess I shouldn't step on those tiles again."  
  
    " _No kidding!_ Seriously, you need to think before you just recklessly. . ."  
  
    Losing focus, Frisk blinked rapidly. Their mind kept wandering as they tried to listen to Flowey's lecture. Whatever the tile did, its effect was lingering for a lot longer than Frisk was comfortable with. With a hazy feeling of confusion, they raised their arm and grasped at the frigid air. Well, it still felt cold. That was good. But how had they been sleeping in the snow for five minutes? That in itself should have warranted a reset already.   
  
    "Hey Flowey, how am I still alive? I mean, it's kind of cold outside to be sleeping."   
  
    "You didn't even notice that? Jeez, maybe we should rest a bit more after all." Flowey pointed at the small fire that had been built next to the sleeping child. Now that they thought about it, they _did_ feel warmer on their right side.   
      
    "You built this?"  
  
    "Duh. Who else could've?"   
  
    Frisk looked again at the small burning fire. Flowey didn't have arms, so it must have been hard enough to gather all of the wood and kindle. But how did he light it? Did he have some sort of fire magic that Frisk wasn't aware of? The only monster that Frisk knew was. . .   
  
    ". . . Did she help you?"  
  
    "No. I know how to light a fire, idiot."   
  
    "Oh. . ."  
  
    Of course he did, why wouldn't he? Maybe, just maybe, Frisk could've had a small glimmer of hope. Maybe she was still hanging in there in the Ruins. Maybe she'd forgiven them for leaving her alone again. Maybe they could still be a family. But of course, this wouldn't be the case. They wouldn't be forgiven. And Frisk didn't even know how long they would be staying here. Their main objective was to get home, of course, yet they couldn't help but feel an attachment to these strange versions of their beloved friends.  
  


. . .

  
  
    "HUMAN! PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE ASTOUNDING PAPYRUS'S DREADFUL COLOR TRAP! THE RULES ARE UNFAIR IN EVERY WAY! FOR THE RED TILES. . ." Papyrus rambled on while Frisk paid close attention to the tiles. The lever was flipped once again, and another succession of black tiles appeared.   
  
    "WHAT? THIS BLASTED MACHINE! IT MUST BE BROKEN! NOW THERE'S NO WAY TO CROSS!"  
  
    ". . . You might be right about that." Frisk scratched the back of their head, tilting it sideways.   
  
    "well, ya might be fine. try it."  
  
    "M-maybe not. Just in case it turns out to be. . . dangerous." Frisk threw an accusatory glance at the skeleton. He must have had something to do with it.  
  
    "NO SANS! THE HUMAN IS RIGHT! THIS IS A FAULTY PUZZLE! I CAN'T POSSIBLY CLAIM ANY PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT OCCURS FROM IT! THAT STUPID LIZARD, ALPHYS. SHE MUST HAVE SENT ME A BROKEN ONE! NO MATTER, HUMAN! THE AMAZING, AND ONLY IN THIS OCCASION, GENEROUS PAPYRUS SHALL FIX THIS!" Papyrus then proceeded to make an angry phone call, ranting as he sprinted off.   
  
    "hey, how's the weather over there?"   
  
    "Cold mostly, and a bit scary."  
  
    "wasn't lookin' for a real response. looks like ya got some nerve 'fter all, what with all that glaring at me. 's almost as if ya think i had somthin' ta do with those tiles."   
  
    "Maybe not. But it looked like you knew what was going to happen if I stepped on one of them. "  
  
    "heh. who knows?"  
  
    "Hypothetically speaking. . . If I _were_ to step on one of them, what would happen?"  
  
    " _hypothetically speaking_ , i dunno. why not give it a try?"  
  
    "Because I really don't want to die any time soon."  
  
    "hmmm. izzat so? welp, good luck 'not dyin', brat." And just like that, Sans was gone.  
  
    "ARGH! Let me at him! That annoying piece of-"  
  
    "Flowey! It's okay. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I have to cross. I'm not sure how long it'll take for Papyrus to come back."  
  
    "Who's to say he'd come back at all? And how are you going to cross?! I mean, you can't step on it without passing out."  
  
    "There's a small portion of land that's not apart of the puzzle. Maybe I can climb over?" Frisk looked at the gap. It wasn't even an inch wide, let alone wide enough for a person to cross it safely. They were either going to fall off of the cliff or touch one of the tiles on accident, then fall off.  
  
    "And risk you falling to your death? Nope! Not happening. I think the only thing you can do is nothing right now. I mean, who knows? Papyrus could actually show up."  
  
    "Yeah, but-"  
  
    "HUMAN! I HAVE DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL SEE TO IT NOW!" Papyrus went over to the machine operating the puzzle and yanked a bunch of cords out before punching it off of the cliff. A metallic growl was barely audible as the machine fell to the ground.   
  
    "THERE! NOW YOU MAY CROSS!"   
  
    Frisk looked down gingerly at the color puzzle. Sure, it was deactivated, but the dark grey color of the tiles gave them an ominous feeling. Something told them that they shouldn't step on it.   
  
    "U-uh. Are you sure it's safe?"  
  
    "HMM. I SEE. YOU WANT ME TO BE SURE THAT IMBECILE DIDN'T MESS UP AGAIN. CLEVER, HUMAN! I SHALL TEST IT FOR YOU!"  
  
    "W-wait! What if-" But he had already made it over to them.  
  
    "THERE! COMPLETELY HARMLESS."  
  
    "Oh. Okay then." Frisk made a hesitant step forward, but still didn't touch the puzzle. Another small step. Then another.  
  
    "OH FOR THE LOVE OF MYSELF!" Papyrus scooped up the child, then deposited them on the other side.   
  
    "Meep!"  
  
    "NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE, BE SURE TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THIS NEXT PUZZLE! IT WILL MOST DEFINITELY NOT FAIL! NYA HA HA HA!"  
  
    ". . ."  
  
    "Frisk? Hey. Friiiiiisk. What is happening right now. Frisk. Frisk!" Flowey gave the child a small whack on the head. "Frisk!"  
  
    "This universe."  
  
    "What?"  
  
    "It's this universe. That's where I'm going to date him."  
  
    "Stahp."  
  
    "Aww! What? You jelly?~" Frisk booped the flower's head, then giggled.  
  
    "Hardly."  
  
    "Psh! Okay then~"  
  
    Continuing on, the two came across another save point. It was right next to a snow sculpture of a lesser dog they had encountered before. The statue was perfectly made, and its neck only extended about two or three inches higher than it normally was. Frisk remembered this fight. It was probably their favorite, and least favorite. Because while they were swung at repeatedly with a multitude of spears, they got to pet the lesser dog to a great extent. It was one of the better battles.   
  


_Frisk: LV1_

_Snowdin- Dog Statue_

_HP: 18/18_

  
  
    "Oh, right." Frisk sighed as they remembered their health depletion. They couldn't really do anything but try not to die. However, this was proving to be a bit more difficult than they'd expected.   
  
    "Hey, Frisk! Frisk! WATCH OUT!" Flowey barely stopped the child from sliding off of a cliff. Looks like they made it to the ice puzzle.   
  
    "Woah! Thanks, Flowey." Relieved, they took a careful step forward. . . Only to slip and fall anyway.   
  
    "YOU IDIOOOOOOOOT-" Flowey screeched before they both plummeted off of the side into a large pile of snow.  
  
    "Ouch. . ."


	10. Snowdin Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowzers! Merry Christmas guise! (I'm surprised I'm still semi-consistent) Have a chapter!

    It only took a couple more falls before Frisk finally got the pattern of the ice puzzle. Successfully creating a bridge, they slid across. When they came to the other side, an array of snowpoffs sat in front of them. Frisk routinely went through each and every one of them, making sure to inspect every snowpoff. Their efforts were rewarded with absolutely nothing.  
  
    "Wow, what a great waste of time."  
  
    "Aw man! But last time I got some gold out of it!" Frisk kicked a rather large pile of snow, rumbling it slightly.  
  
    "Just keep going. I find it oddly unnerving that we've gotten used to the cold already. . ." Before Frisk could respond, the snow pile rose, revealing itself to be a Greater Dog.  
  
    "Bork."  
  


_Greater Dog blocks your path!_

  
  
    ". . ."  
  
    "Bork!" Greater Dog lunged a dog-faced spear at the child, flickering on and off with red magic.  
  
    "WAH!"  
  
    "Bork bork!" Greater Dog's attacks grew faster.  
  
    Frisk lunged out of the way and grabbed a rock that was lying in the snow. They shook it twice, alerting Greater Dog's attention. The attacks stopped immediately, followed by an entranced Greater Dog. His eyes lit up at the sight of a new toy.  
  
    "You want it?"  
  
    "BORK BORK!"  
  
    "Alright then. . . Go get it!" The rock was thrown was far as Frisk could manage, which was about three feet.  
  
    "Seriously?" Flowey looked over in disbelief at the child.  
  
    ". . . It's a heavy rock." Nonetheless, Greater Dog still retrieved it with a happy bork. Frisk did this seven times over before the dog was satisfied.  
  
    "Bork!" Greater Dog gave another stab with his spear.  
  
    "Ack!" Frisk was scraped on the shoulder, unable to evade in time. The spear, infused with red magic, seared their skin. It felt as if a load of pressure was residing in that arm.  
  
    "What?" The child had no time to be dazed, as Greater Dog was coming at them with another attack. Before it could land, Frisk raised out their good arm and pet the dog several times over.  
  
    "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?"  
  
    "Not him."  
  
    "Flowey!"  
  
    "What? I'm not wrong." Greater Dog stuck out his tongue. . . Then continued to attack.  
  
    "WHY?!"  
  
    "Try playing with it again!"  
  
    "Uhhh, wanna play fetch?" Frisk barely dodged the oncoming spear.  
  
    "I guess not."  
  
    "BORK BORK!" Greater Dog awaited another attempt at diplomacy.  
  
    Out of ideas, Frisk ran over and gave Greater Dog the biggest hug they could manage. Greater Dog seemed satiated at last.  
  


_SPARE_

  
  
    "Bork bork." Greater Dog rushed off, leaving the pained child to hold their injury.  
  
    "Ugh, what happened to my arm?" Frisk looked down at the throbbing mess. Ouch.  
  
    "This hasn't happened before. . . What could've caused this?" Flowey took a closer look at the burnt wound.  
  
    "The red magic. I moved through it, and now there's a bunch of weight on my arm."  
  
    "But you ran through that Smiley Trashbag's red magic too, when we escaped near the entrance of Snowdin Forest. The only thing that did was lower a bit of your HP."  
  
    "Yeah, but that was different. He wasn't attacking me, he was just holding my soul. But with Greater Dog's spear, I _was_ being attacked. The red magic hit a specific part of me. . . I guess. And I guess got a nice little burn out of it too, ha ha. . . "  
  
    "This isn't a laughing matter! Can you move it at all?"  
  
    "No, not really."  
  
    "WHAT?! This is a problem, Frisk!"  
  


    "Yeah. . . Seems like it."  
  


. . .

  
  
    "HUMAN! I BET YOU WEREN'T EXPECTING **THIS**!" Papyrus sprang the trap, as a bunch of perilous obstacles began swinging and slicing in close proximity of the bridge.  
  
    "Oh no. . . "  
  
    "pft, yeah. good luck, brat."  
  
    Frisk clutched their arm, hoping that it wouldn't get caught in anything when they tried to dodge. First the mace, watch the fire, two spears, cannonball, a dog?, more spears, woah wait, where'd those spikes come from, keep moving, and. . . at the very last second, Frisk was smacked in the back of their head with an unexpected bat. They tripped, dropping face first into the snowy terrain. Luckily, they had just made it through to the other side.  
      
    "Ow."  
  
    "SANS, THE HUMAN! IT HAS A RED LIQUID COMING FROM ITS HEAD! WHAT DO WE DO?"  
  
    "whaddya mean? in fact, why do ya care so much about some stinking brat that fell down this sink hole in the first place? aren't ya 'papyrus, soon-to-be captain of the royal guard'? you never gave anyone else pity before. why start with this runt?"  
  
    "I. . . I'M NOT. YOU'RE RIGHT, SANS, I'VE BEEN TOO WEAK. HOWEVER, I STILL NEED TO LEAD A FAIR FIGHT! THE HUMAN IS GOING TO BATTLE ME _IF_ THEY REACH THE END OF SNOWDIN! IF THEY DIE BEFORE THEN. . . THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO."  
  
    Papyrus turned away from the heartbroken child. As he dashed off, they couldn't help but feel betrayed, and extremely wounded with the need of medical attention immediately. Sans on the other hand, stayed. He looked down with menace, ready to strike.  
  
    "if ya end up dead. . ." A bone raised up next to the shivering child.  
  
    " **Y a  c a n ' t  f i g h t  h i m.** "  
  
    "I knew you'd want me dead. . . I'm sorry." _But I wasn't the one who reset._  
  
    Sans froze, unsure of what that meant. He should kill them now, before they become a threat to Papyrus. And yet, he didn't want to kill them. For two reasons, actually. One, he would never admit to anyone, not even himself. And two, he got the feeling that killing them now would be useless.  
  
    "heh, 's a joke, kid. that's how the underground works. maybe lighten up a bit. ya look chilled to the bone."  
  
    Frisk looked up at the skeleton, unsure of what to make of that. This Sans didn't make as many puns as their's did. In fact, they were pretty sure this was the first one he'd made. Frisk giggled, then picked themselves off of the ground with their good arm.  
  
    "Thank you." Frisk gave a slight smile as they headed on forward.  
  
    ". . . stupid brat."  
  


. . .

  
  
    Upon entering Snowdin Town, Frisk realized that it wasn't as Christmas-y as they remembered. Upon further thought, Frisk realized that they never encountered Gyftrot. I guess monsters can't really pick on each other without it ending in dust. Frisk was going to have to bring Christmas down here themselves.  
  
    "Hey, why don't you try healing first, before you go off and try to make this world a better place or whatever." Flowey chided.  
  
    "Right, right."  
  
    In the store, the shopkeeper greeted them bleakly. The bunny figure didn't even glance at Frisk until they spoke.  
  
    "Oh, um, hello!" The child's voice was caught in her ears.  
  
    "Oh my goodness! A child? What are you doing here? Where are your parents?" She looked extremely worried.  
  
    "I. . . I'm alone. My parents are very, very far away right now."  
  
    "Far away? Like the capital? Or. . . Oh goodness!" Sympathy was instantly on their side as the kind bunny began noticing more and more worrying things.  
  
    "You're injured? That looks terrible! Oh my, red magic? Here, I have something that can help you with the pain, at least. I'm so sorry I can't do more." She quickly went to work.  
  
    "O-oh! Thank you! You're the nicest monster I've met so far." Frisk sighed.  
  
    "Well, I realized that the adults are the ones to worry about. The kids are just a victim of circumstance. My sister's child, actually, she's the sweetest little thing. She reminded me that not everyone that lives in this hell hole, oh pardon, place, is completely insane and out to get you."  
  
    Frisk listened closely. So these monsters were like the ones Frisk remembered. They could still be helped. Frisk thanked the shopkeeper once again and bought three cinnamon bunnies. They got them wrapped up nicely, two little present boxes.  
  
    Before Frisk explored anything else in Snowdin, they placed the two presents into each respective mailbox of the skeleton brothers. A Christmas present might make their day, even if they didn't know what Christmas was. With that done, Frisk went to discover all of Snowdin's charms.  
  


. . .

  
    Sans appeared inside of his house, strangely weary. He wasn't prepared for a heartfelt thanks or an apology for. . . Nothing? All he wanted to do right now was crash on the couch and-  
  
    "SANS!" Of course it wasn't that easy.  
  
    " 'sup boss?"  
  
    "THE HUMAN! THEY LEFT SOMETHING IN OUR MAILBOX! I JUST SAW THEM WALK AWAY!"  
  
    "i'll check." Instantly, Sans was up.  
  
    He knew it was just a rouse. They always get tricked like this. No, he can't be growing soft now, not after what happened the last time he wasn't diligent. The door slammed open, alarming several citizens who realized it was nothing and muttered curses to themselves, too afraid to start a direct confrontation. Sans opened the mailboxes to reveal. . . Two neatly wrapped presents?  
  
    No, this could still be something dangerous. Sans carefully unwrapped the package, only to see a cinnamon bunny. Papyrus's too. . .  cinnamon bunny? A note attached to the gifts explained a weird concept of giving gifts and family crap. Sans didn't really care much, he just took the cinnamon bunnies inside. Before Papyrus could interrogate him anymore, he simply threw the opened gifts on the table.  
  
    ". . . merry christmas." He mumbled as he slammed the door to his room.  
  
    Papyrus was quizzical of the sudden gift, and the whole 'Cirstmass' thing, but accepted it anyway. He read the note thoroughly before going back to the cinnamon bunnies. For some reason, there were two of them. Oh well, more for the Great Papyrus! The cinnamon bunnies tasted a lot better than he remembered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can someone say 'shameless attempt at a holiday chapter'? I CAN! Hope it didn't seem out of place. . . Welp. *shrugs*
> 
> SEE Y'ALL NEXT WEEK!


	11. Another Promise

    "Thank you for resting at the inn! Come again anytime!" The innkeeper waved as Frisk exited the building.  
  
    "Hey look! I'm all healed up!" The child skipped around with abundant energy.  
  
    "Yes, that's great. How's your arm?" Flowey asked, currently wrapped around it.   
  
    Not even a wiggle. . . They sighed. How were they going to get it back to normal? Frisk realized that asking pointless questions got them nowhere. They would just have to deal with it for now. It was also at this point that they realized they had forgotten to save. They turned back and headed towards the glowing yellow star.  
  


_Frisk: LV1_

_Snowdin- Town_

_HP: 18/18_

  
    "Done!" Frisk felt a huge wave of relief. "Alright then, where to next?"  
  
    The next stop turned out to be Grillby's. As they entered, the two quickly realized that they were being glared at. By everyone. Frisk had gotten so comfortable with the hospitality they received at the inn that they forgot how this world really was. But kindness obviously did exist down here. . . Somewhat. It shouldn't be too hard to get a friendly reaction, right? Frisk decided to greet the bartender.  
  
    "Hello!" Frisk waved at the purple fire monster. He adjusted his glasses, scoffed, then continued shining his plate.  
  
    "Um, heh, uh. . . You know, I'd ask you for a glass of water, but I bet you don't touch that stuff?" Still no reaction.  
  
    "H-hey, is it hot in here, or is it just you?" Flowey face palmed internally.  
  
    "What do you want." Grillby bristled slightly.  
  
    ". . . Friendly conversation?"   
      
    A moment of pure silence passed before he gave a small half chuckle. A glass of water sat in front of Frisk as the bartender wandered off into the back to make someone's order. Mission success? Frisk was going to count it as a success. Reveling in their small victory, Frisk decided to talk to all of the patrons.   
  
    "Hm? That smell!"  
        "Those smells!"  
  
    "PET? PAT? POT? PAT?"  
  
    "Bork bork!" They all warmed up to Frisk eventually.  
  
    "Hey, kid. You're not half bad for a runt! But I wonder how you're still alive, 'cuz the power of friendship don't get you too far here." A red bird asked, sitting nonchalantly on the stool.  
  
    "Well. . . I try to befriend evryone I meet down here!" Frisk beamed.   
  
    A collective aww was shared throughout the bar. This kid was too cute! Too bad they were on a one way path to destruction, at least, that's what everyone thought. No one knew about Frisk's ability to come back to life, or save, or. . .  
  
    "Oh. . . I just remembered something. I have to go." Frisk scooted out of Grillby's, unsure of what they were going to do.   
  
    "Frisk?" Flowey was wary of the child's sudden determination.   
  
    "Of course! Why didn't I think of this before? Obviously I just have to-" Frisk headed straight for the save point. That would bring them to the load screen. Then. . .   
  
    "Wait. Are you thinking about resetting? Frisk! You can't! What if your HP glitches out? What if you just end up at the beginning again? You'll have to live this nightmare all over again!"  
  
    "Flowey I have to try something! I want to go back to them."  
  
    "But-"  
  
    "heya." Startled, Frisk stopped abruptly, nearly tripping over their feet. Sans was standing right in front of the save point. Odd. He wasn't there a second ago.  
  
    "wow, don't act so excited." Sans searched their expression for a scheme.   
  
    "U-uh, S-sans! Whaaaat are you doing. Here?" Their sentence came out choppy and rough.  
  
    "i live here. real question is, what's the hurry, pal? ya seem pretty frantic 'bout somethin'."   
  
    "I was just-"  
  
    "goin' so soon? heading up and out to. . . somewhere." Sans assumed he was correct, considering the child was as readable as a book.  
  
    ". . .No?"   
  
    "ya don't seem too sure."  
  
    ". . . And what if I was?"   
  
    "well, it'd be a p' darn shame. ya seem to be spreading kindness and the like everywhere. makes the place half tolerable."  
  
    "Really?"   
  
    "no."  
  
    "Oh."  
  
    "but. . . **A human would help us reach the surface.** " Frisk realized in an instant why he was stopping them. Seven human souls. They were the last soul needed to break the barrier.   
  
    Frisk looked around. The bleakness of this Underground was oppressive. While everyone was gruff, they were capable of being saved. Frisk could bring them to the surface. They could help them. But did they want to? Well, of course they did!   
  
    "You're right. I can help you guys. And I plan to!"  
  
    "wow, didn't know i was dealin' with such a death hardy brat."  
  
    "What? No! I'm going to free you guys and survive at the same time!"  
  
    Sans looked at the determined child confused. After a good second, he grinned. Soon enough, he was howling with laughter. This kid thought that they could save everyone without dying. It was too funny.   
  
    "look, that's grand and all, but you know that ain't happening."  
  
    "It will. And I'll prove it! I promise!"  
  
     _Promise_. . . Sans hesitated for a moment. A promise with this suspicious kid that fell out of nowhere didn't seem right. In fact, the thought made him angry for some reason. But what was the worst that could happen? They would be dead by Papyrus, so he wouldn't expect anything from them. No expectations. No problem.  
  
    "aight. when ya lose, and die, i'll say i told ya so."  
  
    "To my dead body?"  
  
    "yep."  
  
    "Fine! And when I win, and not die, you have to be my friend _andletmedateyourbrotherahem_. Whaddya say?"  
  
    "wait, what was that last part?"  
  
    "Nothing! Just accept already!"  
  
    "hmph. deal."  
  
    "Great!" Frisk skipped along merrily as Sans wondered whether he heard that right or not.   
  


. . .

  
  
    Frisk watched as a wolf continually chucked ice into the river. Frisk read in the librarby that this cooled down the ever increasing temperatures of the CORE. It was an interesting process.   
  
    "Hey! Let's play monsters and humans!" A little green slime shouted behind Frisk.  
  
    "Okay, but you have to be the dumb humans this time. I always get stuck with the 'cowering in fear' role."  
  
    "NUH UH! Daaaaaaaaad!"  
  
    "No fair! DAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!"  
  
    "Would you brats just shut it!?"  
  
    ". . ." Frisk decided that it would be best to go back to the town.  
  


. . .

  
  
    "That chick is off kilter. Her brother must be out of control."   
  
    Frisk looked over at the leashed bunny. It was snarling and hissing at everyone who came by. The rabbit holding the leash just watched her brother with adoration.  
  
    "Wow! Isn't Cinnamon just the cutest?"   
  
    "That's weird, lady!"  
  
    "What? You jealous?"  
  
    "Are you looking for a fight?! 'Cuz I'll fite you!"  
  
    "Get him, Cinnamon!" With those words, the girl released her hold on the leash, sending the rabid little rabbit after the unfortunate catalyst.   
  
    "Well then. Where to next Flowey?"  
  
    "You're delaying the inevitable."  
  
    "What~ I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
    "You've been through the entire town twice!"  
  
    "B-but the reader hasn't! There are still so many more intricate details that can be written about!"  
  
    "Quit breaking the fourth wall! They'll start expecting things."  
  
    "Whoops, sorry guys."  
  
    "Frisk!"  
  
    "Alright, fine! Maybe I am stalling. But I really don't want to fight him."  
  
    "Well that's too bad. You're going to have to eventually, _if_ you want to keep that promise."  
  
    ". . ."  
  
    "You'll get to date him afterwards."  
  
    "Off we go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frisk! Don't go breaking the forth wall. It might lead to. . . Something. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you guys are enjoying the chapters. Are you still enjoying them? Or does the quality of my writing degrade every time I update? Hmm. . . (They certainly get shorter, that's for sure. Sorry!)
> 
> Double anyway, that Papyrus fight is coming up. Let's see if the child can finally score a date. See you next week!


	12. A Fight With The Great Papyrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter! Well, this took longer than expected. Sorry that it's a little late! (Is it tho? It is still the weekend after all. . . Eh, still.) Anyway, to compensate for that, this chapter is a bit longer than usual! *party popper noise* Enjoy!

    The fog was growing thicker as they neared the edge of Snowdin. Slowly coming into focus was a tall, cool looking figure. It turned as the duo approached. Windy chills were freezing Frisk's face, the only thing bringing them back to consciousness was the shrill, charismatic voice of the silhouette before them.  
  
    "SO YOU MADE IT THIS FAR. . . YOU ARE QUITE FORMIDABLE FOR SUCH A SMALL OPPONENT. EVEN SO, THIS DOES NOT WARRANT YOU MERCY. FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR DEATH!" A jagged bone flew past Frisk's face, barely missing them.  
  
    "PREPARE YOURSELF, HUMAN!"  
  


_Papyrus stands in your path._

  
  
    A barrage of red bones came from all directions. Frisk stood as still as a rock, just trying not to flinch. After the red magic passed through their bad arm, Frisk found themselves able to move it again. Frisk sighed with relief, knowing that their arm could be usable again.  
      
    But it was too early to relax! Right after the red came the normal bone attacks, complete with extremely jagged ends. As they barreled through the ground, Frisk hopped and skipped gracefully through the air, twirling with the skill of a ballerina. They landed in perfect formation, ending their turn with a charming wink. Papyrus looked confused.  
  
    "CHARMING WILL GET YOU NOWHERE HUMAN!" Several more bones decimated the landscape, a couple of them crashing down from the sky.  
  
    "Why did the chicken cross the road?"  
  
    "WHAT? WHY?"  
  
    "To get to the cool skeleton on the other side!" He didn't stop attacking.  
  
    "Knock knock!"  
  
    "WHO'S THERE?"  
  
    "The chicken!"  
  
    "I-I- WHAT?" Papyrus reflexively increased the speed of his attacks.  
  
    "Is it hot in here, or is it just you?"  
  
    "WE'RE SURROUNDED BY SNOW???"  
  
    And while all of the flirtatious comments were happening, Frisk was simply slipping through the bones, being sure to make it appear as if their evasion was effortless. Papyrus was getting increasingly flustered and irritated, the use of jokes just grating on his nerves. He also didn't understand why the human was so captivated with him. They should be (mostly) afraid of him! Showing such upfront admiration was an insult! There was no way he was going to stand for that.  
  
    "STOP THIS INSOLENCE!" With a 'ping', Frisk's soul was grasped by the red magic. They fell to the ground almost immediately.  
  
    "I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS. YOU FEAR ME, THEN ADMIRE ME FROM A DISTANCE. THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY OF THIS 'FLIRTATION' OR MOCKERY OF MY SKILLS!"  
  
    "Sorry, I can't help it. When I see a handsome skeleton such as yourself, I just fall head over heels~"  
  
    "ARGH! SEE? THERE IT IS AGAIN! YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T RESPECT ME AT ALL! KNOW YOUR PLACE, YOU CALLOUS BRAT!" Slicing their cheek, a shallow wound formed from the edge of a bone that came out of the ground, pressing against their face.  
  
    "I AM THE HORRIBLE, RUTHLESS, UNPARALLELED PAPYRUS, KILLER OF MANY! I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO BE DISRESPECTED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!"  
  
    The pressure made it hard for Frisk to move, their soul heavy and slow. Still, they had one last resort, one final card up their sleeves. Frisk grabbed Flowey and threw him at Papyrus's face.  
  
    "FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISK!" Flowey screeched as he landed. This kid was going to kill him!  
  
    "WHAT THE-" Papyrus was momentarily blinded, distracting him enough to make him retract the grasp he had on their soul.  
  
    "I'll take that!" Frisk giggled, scooping up Flowey before running back to Snowdin town.  
  
    "HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE!"  
  
    A chase throughout town ensued, as they ran throughout all of the buildings, causing quite the ruckus. Frisk made sure to make a mess where ever they went, whether it was knocking over books in the Librarby, or dancing on the tables at Grillby's, no place was safe! Except for the shopkeeper and her sister, Frisk didn't want to trample on the kindness that they showed them. After making a scene, Papyrus finally caught Frisk, making sure the bones surrounded them completely.  
  
    "Oh no! I, the town troublemaker, have been caught by the Great Papyrus! Oh woe is me, woe I say!"  
  
    "FLATTERY WON'T-" But before he could finish his sentence, a crowd of cheers gathered around.  
  
    "That's our Royal Guard!"  
  
    "Someone finally caught that brat!"  
  
    "Papyrus is my hero!" Loud clapping ensued as Frisk dramatically put a hand to their head.  
  
    "Whatever will become of me now?" They wondered aloud.  
  
    "HMM, LET'S SEE. THE CHILD WILL BE PUT UNDER HOUSE ARREST AND WATCHED BY MY BROTHER AND I!" More cheers and whooping. As Papyrus took Frisk away, he made sure to keep a hold on their soul.  
  
    "Why did you do that?! I could've died!" Flowey hissed.  
  
    "Relax, Flowey. I've got this under control."  
  


. . .

  
  
    "ALRIGHT NOW, HUMAN! I'LL GIVE YOU TEN SECONDS TO EXPLAIN BEFORE I KILL YOU. WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"  
  
    "What was what for?" Frisk glanced up at him with eyes of innocence.  
  
    "THE 'RUNNING AMUCK THE TOWN' ACT! IF YOU WANTED TO RUN AWAY, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO SUCH AN OBVIOUS PLACE. I KNOW SNOWDIN AS WELL AS THE BACK OF MY GLOVE! IT WAS COMPLETELY STUPID IN ALL ASPECTS."  
  
    "Yes, but I got you some major popularity points! You're always being feared, doesn't that get tiring? Wouldn't you like to be admired as well?"  
  
    "PERHAPS. HOWEVER, I DON'T NEED HELP IN ORDER TO BRING UP MY APPROVAL RATES! I AM VERY GREAT! IT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IN DUE TIME."  
  
    "cool, let's kill 'em now." Sans appeared out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of Frisk and mildly startling Papyrus.  
  
    "SANS! I GET TO DECIDE WHETHER THE HUMAN DIES OR NOT!"  
  
    "so that's a no?"  
  
    "YES! I MEAN, NO. I MEAN- ARGH! GET OUT OF HERE!"  
  
    "pft, aight. you're the boss, boss." Sans snapped his phalanges together, sending himself off to Grillby's.  
  
    "NOW THEN. PREPARE TO DIE HUMAN!"  
  
    " _Skeletonwhowantstodatemesayswhat?_ "  
  
    "WHAT?"  
  
    "It's a date then!"  
  
    "OH MYSELF, I CAN'T BELIEVE I FELL FOR THAT."  
  
    "Wink!"  
  
    "I'M STILL KILLING YOU."  
  
    "Why?"  
  
    "TO SEND YOUR SOUL OFF TO KING ASGORE!"  
  
    "Which will?"  
  
    "FREE ALL THE MONSTERS."

    "And?"

    "MAKE ME POPULAR!"  
  
    "Oh, and here I thought you didn't need my help in order to be popular."  
  
    "I DON'T!"  
  
    "Oh yeah?"  
  
    "YEAH!"  
  
    "Alright then! Prove it! You're not allowed to use my soul to gain popularity. "  
  
    "FINE!"  
  
    "Good!"  
  
    "WAIT A MINUTE. DRAT!"  
  
    While Frisk and Papyrus were having their silly banter, Flowey was glaring at the wall, waiting for the argument to be over. In the corner of his eye, however, he saw a shadow move. It looked too small to be Sans, and felt strangely. . . familiar. Flowey made a slow descent off of Frisk's arm to investigate. He followed it through the slight crack in the door to the outside. A secret back room of sorts from behind the house came in view. As he neared, the shadow began to take shape. It was calling his name. His real name.  
  
    " _Hello Asriel_."

. . .

  
  
    "IF I GO ON THE STUPID DATE WITH YOU, WILL YOU STOP BEING A PEST AND GET OUT OF MY SIGHT?!"  
  
    "Probably."  
  
    "CLOSE ENOUGH. LET'S TOUR THE HOUSE, THEN. I'M NOT GOING OUT IN PUBLIC WITH YOU."  
  
    "Close enough!" Frisk hopped off of the 'interrogation couch' and quickly checked its cushions for anything useful. As expected, a handful of loose change was scooped up.  
  
    "STEALING FROM MY COUCH ARE YOU? AND IN PLAIN SIGHT! HAVE YOU NO DECENCY!?"  
  
    "Huh, I never thought of it that way." Frisk shrugged, placing the coins on a table near the couch.

    A book titled "How To Get Away With Murder In Ten Easy Steps" caught their attention, so Frisk picked it up and found that it felt heavier towards the middle. Inside of the book was another book, this one titled "How To Hide a Body 101". Frisk decided not to look any further and set it back down on whatever room was left on the table. Since they had already checked out the couch, the next place to go was the TV. The second they turned it on, the sound of mechanical laughter filled the room, followed by the sound of a chainsaw and the scream of a very unfortunate monster. Well, that was turning off.  
  
    "AH, THAT'S THE UNDERGROUND'S CELEBRITY, METTATON. HE'S OKAY ENOUGH TO WATCH, I GUESS. BUT I AM STILL FAR SUPERIOR! NYAH HAH HAH!" Frisk noted that there was no sock on the floor next to the TV. Instead, there was a full blown pile of dirty laundry.  
  
    "THAT LAZY EXCUSE OF A BROTHER. I CONSTANTLY TELL HIM TO PICK UP HIS CLOTHES, BUT EVERY TIME I DO, HE JUST PUTS MORE THERE! HONESTLY, HOW COULD SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME BE RELATED TO SUCH FILTH?"  
  
    Walking over to the kitchen, Frisk noticed the extended cabinet below the sink. Inside of the cabinet was a box of dust labeled "TO BE BURIED LATER". . . Frisk closed the cabinet. They instead decided to open the fridge. A multitude of lasagna was taking up the top half, while the bottom half had a near empty bottle of mustard and a take out box from Grillby's. Mustard, huh? Interesting. Frisk looked in the trash can to see if there was anything useful in it.  
  
    "THAT'S THE GARBAGE CAN. I'M SURE YOU'RE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH IT."  
  
    "Ha ha, very funny."  
  
    "ARE YOU FINISHED RUMMAGING THROUGH MY KITCHEN? I'M PRETTY SURE THIS TOUR IS OVER."  
  
    "What? But I haven't seen your room yet!"  
  
    "MY ROOM? DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DESERVING OF SUCH A SIGHT?"  
  
    "Oh, I get it. It's messy isn't it? That's fine. I guess even a great Royal Guard member such as you can have their off days. No, _seriously_ , it's completely-"  
  
    "GO INSPECT MY PERFECT, IMMACULATE ROOM!"  
  
    "Too easy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To his room I see. . . I wonder what will happen there?
> 
> *saxophone jazzy music plays*
> 
> HEY! Get your mind out of the gutter. No sin here, remember?


	13. But Nobody Came

    Frisk looked around the crimson colored room. Bones were neatly stacked in the corner, and familiar jagged edges told Frisk that these were Papyrus's attacks. They went to inspect the pile, only to be intercepted by Papyrus.  
  
    "THOSE ARE MY ATTACKS! AS IF I'D SHOW A WEAKLING LIKE YOU HOW THEY WORK!"  
  
    Frisk shrugged, then moved over to the closet. Inside were an assortment of normal clothing, leather jackets and skinny jeans mostly. They varied from black to jet black to charcoal black to. . . Frisk could barely distingush the different colors. There were red articles of clothing as well, but they were a darker, blood like color. For some reason, this was the most unnerving thing Frisk found in this house.   
  
    "Why do you wear that all the time if you have all of these normal clothes?"  
  
    "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT I WEAR ALL OF THE TIME?! MAYBE I DO WEAR MORE CLOTHES, AND YOU JUST DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT!"  
  
    "Eh, you just seem like the type of person who would wear the same thing several days over because you made it as a costume for a party and decided it looked cool. I bet you don't even take it off when you shower."  
  
    "I- I- WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!" Papyrus huffed, silently cursing the brat's knowledge. Not that it was true by any means. . .  
  
    "Mm hm. Alright then."  
   
    Frisk wandered around, looking over the monster truck bed and all of Papyrus's 'not action figures of monsters that did exist, Frisk just hasn't seen them'. Papyrus insisted that the date be over with already so that he could go back to doing his extremely important Royal Guard duties, but Frisk wasn't done just yet. Now how did they pull up the dating hub again? C was it?  
  
    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus asked,watching the child tap at the air.  
  
    "Nothing. But hey, I really think you should try wearing some casual clothing. It'd be a nice change of pace."  
  
    "I REFUSED TO BE ORDERED AROUND BY SOME RANDOM HUMAN CHILD."  
  
    "Hmm. . . Oh, I see. I guess you really _do_ wear nothing but your battle body."  
  
    "HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS CALLED, UGH, NEVER MIND. ANYWAY, I'M NOT FALLING FOR IT THIS TIME. I, THE SHARP AND WITTY PAPYRUS, KNOW WHEN I AM BEING DUPED!"  
  
    "Papyrus the Liar-us."  
  
    "NAME CALLING IS EXTREMELY-"  
  
    "Bawk bawk!"  
  
    "I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS, BUT I FELT LIKE AN INSULT."  
  
    "Hey, did you hear about that Papyrus guy? Apparently, he wears his battle body all the time because he thinks he looks cool."  
  
    "WELL, DON'T I?"  
  
    "You always look cool, that's not fair."  
  
    "UGH, THERE'S NEVER A MOMENT OF SILENCE WITH YOU. ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. I WILL CHANGE INTO MY EXTREMELY COOL CASUAL CLOTHING!"  
  
    "Yes!"  
  
    "YEAH, YEAH, JUST GET OUT OF MY HOUSE AFTER THIS!"  
  
    "Can do, Boss!"  
  
    "DON'T CALL ME THAT. IT'S ODD."  
  


. . .

  
  
    This feeling, Asriel thought that he'd forgotten this. After fighting with Frisk, he thought he had come to terms with the fact that his best friend was gone. But something clouded his judgement, bringing him back to his days before he was saved. It was dark. Empty. So cold. So lonely. . .  
  
   _Hello Asriel. Or rather. 'Flowey'._ The figure kept a twisted smile. Though its cheeks were rosy, its eyes were empty. Everything became much darker in its presence.  
  
    "Chara. . . Is that really you?"  
  
   _Yes. However. I feel that there is something. . . different about you. You do not seem right._ It twisted its head slightly, looming down at the diminutive flower.  
  
    "It's me! It's me, Chara! Your best friend! Your brother!"  
  
   _That is what I remember. And yet. You are not Asriel._  
  
    "H-huh?"  
  
  _Your soul. You are like me._  
  
    "O-oh, right. But, you're still my best friend! That hasn't changed!"  
  
   _Oh. . . Is that so. I have seen your FRIEND. Another human. You follow them around. Pathetic._ It turned, smile half faltered.   
  
    "W-what? N-no Chara! I wouldn't! Y-you're still-"  
  
  _You take me for a fool. Although. You have never been an exemplary partner._  
  
    ". . . Chara?"  
  
   _Prove to me. You are willing to be my partner._  
  
    "Of course! Of course, please! I would never betray you, Chara!"  
  
    _You will help me this time._ It smirked. Turning brightly, it reached out its hand, lightly patting the flower's petals.   
  
    "Yes!"  
  
   _You will not betray me._  
  
    "No, of course not!"  
  
     _I can trust you._  
  
    "Yes, yes!"  
  
   _Good. Let us proceed._  
  


/ / /

  
  
    "THERE! NOW LEAVE!" Papyrus came back wearing a sleek leather jacket with a 'Cool Dude' graphic tee underneath. On top of his head was a backwards fedora, and his boots were replaced with spiky black high tops.   
  
    "Aw, but I just got here!"  
  
    "YOU'VE BEEN POKING AROUND MY HOUSE FOR AN HOUR NOW!"  
  
    "Still!"  
  
    "LEAVE ALREADY!" Frisk looked around the room for something, anything else they could do. Why hadn't the date sequence triggered yet? Unless. . .   
  
    "This, this was the date, wasn't it?"  
  
    "SURE, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT."

    "Noooooooooooooo!" Frisk fell to the ground dramatically.  
       
    "WELL, NOW THAT THAT'S SETTLED, GET OUT!"  
  
    "Okay. . ."   
  
    "ALSO, DO NOT DIE! I, THE SUPREME PAPYRUS, SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE WHO SHOULD BE ABLE TO CLAIM GLORY USING YOUR SOUL! IF I CAN'T, THEN NO ONE ELSE SHALL! NYAH HAH HAH!" Frisk took that as an invitation for a hug. He was still so cool! Even if he was kind of mean.  
  
    "ER, OKAY THEN. STOP THAT NOW. AND HURRY AND GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"   
  
    "Ha ha! See ya, Papyrus!" Frisk skipped out.  
  
    "WEIRD BRAT. OH WELL. WHEN YOU'RE AS GREAT AS I AM, OF COURSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE FANS! NYAH HAH HAH!"  
  
    As Frisk exited, they finally realized that Flowey was nowhere to be found. They called out to him, yet there was no response. Odd. Frisk crushed down the growing panic and simply looked around town again. Yet even after checking the innkeeper, the store bunny, Grillby's, the Librarby, everywhere honestly, Flowey was nowhere to be seen. After searching through and through, Frisk began haphazardly dashing around the town.  
  
    "Flowey? Flowey! Flowey! FLOOOOOOWWWWEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!"

    "Hey, watch it brat."

    "Ugh, that kid escaped again!"

    "Get outta the way, kid!"

    They ignored all of the ruffled monsters and continued forth. They had to find him, they couldn't do this without him. "Flowey, please! Where did you go. . . " Frisk stopped dead in their tracks when a voice chilled the air colder than the snow around them.  
  
     _He is no longer your acquaintance. Continue forward_. Frisk searched the area with their eyes, trying to find whatever spoke in the echoes around them. Nothing.  
      
    "Who are you? Where's Flowey?!" Frisk ran and ran, shadows forming around all sides. It got dark, darker, yet darker. There was no light.  
  
   _You are making a mistake._ _Continue forward._  
  
    "What do you mean? Who are you?" They were sprinting as they spoke. What were they running from? Where were they running to?  
  
     _Continue forward._ It said. Following the command was a bright shimmer of light.  
  
    Goodbye, Frisk.   
  
    The entrance of Waterfall appeared in front of them. They looked back to see the darkness fading away.   
  
    "No wait! Come back!" Frisk jumped into the escaping shadows. They fell hard on the solid ground.  
  
    "Flowey. . ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where I start to question how far I'm going to stray from the normal headcanons. Looks like we'll just have to wait and see! See y'all next week!


	14. A Talking Flower

    Frisk walked aimlessly towards their next stop, refusing to acknowledge the pain in their knees. A sentry station would appear soon, and Sans would be there. Or maybe he wouldn't. They didn't really care anymore. As they approached the next save point area, a red sea monster standing next to an echo flower waited for Frisk to go up to them and ask about it so they could explain gruffly. Frisk already knew what those were, so there was no explanation needed. What they needed was to go home. Frisk went straight past the slightly disappointed monster. They'd had enough of this already.  
  
    "heya 'pal'. how'd the date go?" Sans was sitting nonchalantly at his sentry station. Mocking them.  
  
    "Fine."  
  
    "huh, i guess it's my turn then. grillby's, brat. let's go."  
  
    ". . ." Frisk continued forward, ignoring the skeleton completely.  
  
    "whoa now, **_friend_**. that wasn't a question."  Sans teleported from behind his sentry station, blocking their path forward.  
  
    "Move, you're in the way."  
  
    " **I think ya misheard me, pal**. grillby's is over there." Sans held their soul down with a 'ping'. With the sturdiest glare they'd ever managed, Frisk begrudgingly followed him.  
      
    "let's take a short cut." Sans snapped, morphing their surroundings. Sure enough, Frisk was staring at the interior of the homey Snowdin pub.  
  
    The monsters in Grillby's brightened when they saw Frisk, even if they did rampage through the town at one point, that's just what kids do here. The monsters almost cheerfully greeted the child, giving half-smiles and nods of acceptance. All of this ceased as Sans followed them in. The bar went silent, everyone turned around, not daring to look in that direction. Small, gruff chatter began filling the room.  
  
    "heh, cowards." Sans sat himself down on one of the bar stools. Frisk sat with one space between them, not really up for conversation. They knew he was here to question them, but they didn't really care. What could he possibly want to ask about?  
      
    "so, i see the flower ain't with ya." Sans pointed out, only to be struck with a grimace laced with a hint of melancholy. Well that was a topic he would bring up again later.  
  
    "aight, traveling solo, whatever. the real question i'm askin' is what ya want from us."  
  
    "Nothing."  
  
    "wow, really. no friendship, or compassion, or nothin'? not even. . . death?" Sans looked at the expressionless child, trying to find their true intentions. Just as they had answered, nothing.  
  
    "I want to go home." Frisk replied, looking the angry skeleton in the face.  
  
    "well, good luck gettin' outta here. ya got two options, die, or die and bring us to the surface."  
  
    "I've done it before." Sans froze. What was this kid saying?  
  
    "likely. and i'm king asgore."  
  
    "It's true."  
  
    Sans was starting to wonder if the kid had hit their head on something on their way to Waterfall. They were acting completely different than the lost little brat who was shaking in their boots when they had first met. And now that he thought about it, where _was_ that stupid little flower anyway. Maybe he should have killed them when he'd had a chance. Maybe they were planning to wipe them all out. Sans personally didn't care about the rest of monster kind, but he would not stand for the death of his brother. Sans would have to kill them now before they could act on their plan.  
  
    "hey brat, didja hear 'bout the skeleton who killed rude little brat?"  
  
    "Yeah. I heard that he killed them without hesitation." Frisk began to wonder if their death would bring Flowey back to them, as they hadn't saved since the beginning of Snowdin. Sure, they'd have to do everything over, but Frisk didn't want to lose their one connection to home. Their best friend. Frisk didn't know what took him, but they knew it didn't mean well. Frisk was going to stop that from happening again.  
  
    "heh, ya sure catch on quickly." Sans summoned his gaster blasters, along with a diverse set of bones with different magical properties. One shot from this and they would be dead in an instant.  
  
    ". . . You're going to destroy the place." Grillby halted him before he could take action.  
  
    "He's right. . . Use something smaller. A quick bone to the soul should do it." Frisk watched as both of the monsters looked at them in confusion.  
  
    "uh. . . what."  
  
    "You don't have to destroy the place. Just get it over with." Frisk waited again.  
  
    "huh, ya don't seem to have much of a problem with it."  
  
    "Neither do you." The kid wasn't making any sense. Why would they want him to kill them? Maybe this was apart of their plot. If he killed them, then he would actually be falling into their trap. Or was he just overthinking things again? Because there had to be some logical explanation for this. He wouldn't find out if he killed them now, though. This, he knew for certain.  
  
    "i ain't fallin' for your tricks." He mumbled, dissipating his attacks.  
  
    "What are you doing?" Frisk looked at him with urgency. Hurry up and let me get Flowey back!  
  
    "i'm bein' a good monster. ain't that what ya wanted?"  
  
    "Well, yes, but right now? Did it have to be right now?"  
  
    "uh huh. couldn't be any other time." Frisk barely restrained themselves from flipping over a table. How much longer were they going to stay here anyway?  
  
    "so 'bout that talking flower." Sans casually changed topics, as if the death threat and the acceptance of said threat never happened.  
  
    "What about Flowey?" Frisk asked harshly, not really good at full-out growling.  
  
    "i know some other flowers too, echo flowers."  
  
    "Yes, yes, those flowers that repeat everything you say when you talk to them. Not really anything like Flowey."  
  
    "ya know, it feels like you're givin' me an attitude."  
  
    "You know, I feel like I really don't care." Sans stopped, then smirked, then howled in laughter, surprising everyone in the bar. No wonder this kid somehow got Papyrus to like them, they were an absolute wild card. Sans felt like it would be interesting to see them continue by themselves. Maybe he should watch over them for a bit.  
  
    "aight, get outta here brat. have fun dyin' to whoever."  
  
    ". . ." Frisk finally got to move on and proceed. That took much longer than they were hoping for. When Frisk made it back to Waterfall, they were planning on skipping the save point entirely. However, a slow chill came over them with a familiar, dark shadow. . .  
  
_You will save._  
  
    "No, I won't." Frisk came to a stop.  
  
_You think being sent back will bring him to you._  
  
    "Yes, and it will."  
  
    It will not. He is MY partner now.  
  
    "You're wrong."  
  
_Save. You are being stubborn._  
  
    "You're wrong!" The blackness faded once again. Frisk had appeared in front of the save point.  
  


 

_Frisk: LV1_

_Waterfall- Useless Echo Flower_

_HP: 16/18_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it's been awhile since I've ended a chapter with the save screen! Good times, good times. . .
> 
> Well, I guess they aren't that great right now.


	15. Waterfell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, remember that "swears and violence" tag that I put in after I changed the rating. Well, Waterfall is going to be full of it. Mostly because of Undyne, as I imagine she swears a lot in Underfell. So be warned! KIDDOS BEWARE!

    The sound of falling rocks echoed behind Frisk, water splashing in the distance. Waterfall didn't look any different, a dark cave-like appearance with water gleaming off of the rocks in an iridescent glow. A patch of tall seaweed blocked their view, but it made the perfect hiding spot, so they weren't complaining. As soon as they walked into them, however, a piercing voice boomed from above. Papyrus, it sounded like, was viciously yelling at Undyne, which was odd because Frisk was almost positive that he should be afraid of her. She was his superior after all, and that was no tone to take with someone who could fire you an a whim. Undyne whispered something, prompting even more yelling from Papyrus.   
  
    "I said, SHUT IT DUMBASS!" Undyne conjured a spear and threw it directly at Papyrus's head, a blow that would have been fatal if it hit him.   
  
    "HEY! WATCH IT, UNDYNE! YOU'RE GOING TO BLOW MY HEAD OFF!" Papyrus gracefully dodged the blow, brushing it off as if it were a common occurrence.   
  
    "I think I deserve that much after you talked my fucking ear off about that human punk."  
  
    "I WAS JUST SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T KILL THEM BECAUSE I SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE WITH THAT POWER!"  
  
    "Then why the fuck aren't they dead yet!?"  
  
    "BECAUSE I'M NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR SOUL TO GAIN POPULARITY, I EXPLAINED THIS!"  
  
    "Who told you that?"  
  
    "THE HUMAN!"  
  
    "Are you fucking stupid?! I'm gonna bring their soul to King Asgore and finally free monsterkind from this damn prison those humans stuck us in! Quit being useless and help me out here."  
  
    "JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE BETTER THAN I, THE POWERFUL AND ALL MIGHTY PAPYRUS!"  
  
    "King Asgore is the only 'all mighty' being here. He's gonna save us all, so watch your mouth before I lock you up for treason."  
  
    "YOU'RE INTOLERABLE! I'M NOT GOING TO HELP YOU EVEN CAPTURE THE HUMAN NOW!" Papyrus stomped away, leaving up a defensive wall of bones to ensure that Undyne couldn't retaliate behind his back.  
  
    "Asshole!" Undyne spat at the ground angrily.  
  
    Frisk didn't move. They waited patiently until they heard Undyne's footsteps travel further and further away, eventually fading into nothing. Frisk passed through the rest of the seaweed and saved immediately when the reached the other side. They had saved last time against their will. It was pointless not to now. After the heavy feeling in their chest settled, Frisk progressed. A small river flowed before them, cascading off of the tall cliff, creating a beautiful navy blue waterfall. Beside the river was flower bud, a darker crimson color. Frisk plucked the bud from the ground and gently released it into the water. Immediately, it bloomed into a two foot wide water lily, with stunning red petals that faded into a pale egg yolk color towards the center. Bridge seeds. Frisk placed three more flowers down, creating a stable walk way to cross, then continued on without a second glance at their beautiful surroundings.   
      
    There were more flowers and rivers in the next room, with two different rooms to explore and a small pond surrounding a sign. Frisk ignored the sign and the alternate pathway and moved forward instead. They didn't want to slow down for something as pointless as a sign. However, their progress would be further impeded by the sudden appearance of a moldsmal. At first, Frisk just wanted to get rid of it and end this quickly. The child held a rock tightly in their hands, bringing it up in preparation to swing. They held their hand in the air for the longest time, hesitating and hesitating. Shaking in frustration, Frisk dropped the rock and lowered their arm. They shouldn't do this. They knew that. The moldsmal seemed to understand what kind of situation it was in, and oddly enough, didn't attack. Instead, it wiggled slightly, inviting Frisk to lie immobile with it. Frisk agreed and felt they understood the world a bit better. The moldsmal flopped away, leaving behind a single gold coin.   
  
    Frisk continued to lie on the cool, damp floor, contemplating about what their next move would be. Nothing was a given in this world, so they had to plan accordingly, instead of rushing through each room without a second thought. Frisk listened to the sound of rushing water, the whispers of echo flowers that came from the other room, and simply thought. Everything here was so similar to their Waterfall, it was quite relaxing. Navy blues glowed with the bio-luminescent mushrooms, and the smell of the bridge flowers soon lulled them into a false sense of security. Frisk closed their eyes, and relaxed. They wished time would just freeze and allow them to lie here forever. How peaceful. But this peace was soon disturbed by an extremely loud, not at all subtle, voice and some extremely heavy footsteps that got closer with every booming step.  
  
    "HUMAN! YOU BETTER NOT BE DEAD YET!" Of course Papyrus would just be cruising around Waterfall at this exact moment. Frisk decided to ignore him and continued to think.  
  
    "HU- OH MYSELF THEY'RE DEAD ALREADY. WAKE UP HUMAN! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD YET! I LITERALLY JUST TALKED TO UNDYNE ABOUT THIS!" Papyrus began shaking the annoyed child, and the only reason Frisk responded was that they were sure Undyne was going to come at any second now.   
  
    "I'm not dead. . . Yet." Frisk got up with Papyrus's assistance. "Also, could you keep it down? Undyne is going to hear you."  
  
    "PREPOSTEROUS! I, THE STEALTHY PAPYRUS, CAN WHISPER BETTER THAN-"  
  
    "Shhhhhh!"   
  
    "FINE. I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW I AM NOT A TRAITOR AND UNDYNE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU, BUT IT APPEARS YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS. WHAT A WASTED TRIP!" Papyrus spoke in a sort of inside voice.   
  
    "Well, thanks anyway, I guess." Frisk scratched their head, wondering why Papyrus would even bother coming here to tell them that. It was then that Frisk realized that they didn't have a cellphone, so the only way Papyrus could communicate with them was by finding them. Aww.  
  
    "THAT DIDN'T SOUND GRATEFUL IN THE SLIGHTEST. SINCE YOU SEEM TO BE 'OKAY' ON YOUR OWN, I SHALL TAKE MY LEAVE. I KNOW WHEN I'M UNWANTED!"   
  
    "Wait! Thank you, Papyrus. Really, thank you for coming here just to tell me that." Frisk felt a bit better in knowing that Papyrus was still himself as well.   
  
    "HMPH. OF COURSE! AND YOU SHOULD REALLY STOP FALLING ASLEEP IN RANDOM PLACES! IT MAKES IT EASIER TO KILL YOU. AS YOUR FRIEND, I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST THAT!"  
  
    ". . . Your what?"   
  
    "N-NOTHING! I SAID NOTHING! ANYWAY, DON'T DIE, HUMAN!" Papyrus flushed before correcting himself, quickly dashing away.  
  
    Frisk chuckled before dusting off their pants and stretching. Talking to Papyrus was really refreshing, especially since now they had no one to talk to. Frisk supposed that they were lucky to be in Waterfall right now, since the Echo Flowers chattered constantly, and there was never a moment of true silence. The rooms, as well, were almost always illuminated in some way, shape, or form. Perhaps that was one of the things Frisk enjoyed most about the Underground. It was never dark or quiet at the same time. Even though they were underground, the walls never seemed to cave in on them, or give them any trouble breathing. It was nothing like being locked in a small room for hours on end. . .  
  
    Advancing forward, Frisk entered the wishing room. Echo Flowers were whispering the hopes and dreams of monsters everywhere. Some spoke of killing off humankind once they reached the surface. Others wished to just settle down and be happy for once. A couple wished to see real stars instead of the sparkling turquoise stones that speckled the ceiling of the room. Listening to these gave Frisk conflicting feelings about wanting to save monsterkind. Then again, it's not as if everything was super peachy after they had saved everyone from their world. But that was another story. For now, Frisk would just focus on this Underground. A telescope at the end of the room revealed the passage was behind a wall that was sectioned off by a hallway.   
  
    In the next room was a wall full of monster lore and how they became trapped under here. Frisk realized that they had been skipping the signs in an attempt to hurry through. These signs depicted a monster absorbing a human soul, something Frisk knew first hand. Flowey certainly was frightening with six human souls. Frisk couldn't imagine what Asgore would look like. Suddenly, the weight of the thought they'd just had processed and hit them like a truck. The only reason Frisk could save everyone in the first place was Flowey. What were they planning to do now? Fight Asgore, and then what? Flowey wasn't going to be there, was he? They couldn't be sure of that. Frisk continued walking, which was a mistake on their part because being lost in thought while continuing forward was a set up for death and disaster. Sure enough, a cerulean spear whisked past Frisk's face, coming within a centimeter of their nose.   
  
    "There you are, punk!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now that that's settled, there was something else I wanted to see. I'm trying a new format kinda (longer paragraphs and more details) and I want to see what you guys prefer! Do you like the longer paragraphs, or would you rather keep the shorter ones? Let me know in this poll! An option you want isn't there? (Or the poll isn't working because I suck?) Leave a comment!
> 
> http://www.strawpoll.me/12228617
> 
> Or don't, that's fine. . . ANYWAY! See you guys next week!


	16. Number One Fan

    The bridge was mostly linear, with a few curves and bends here and there that made the entire ordeal even more disorienting. Undyne was summoning spears with little difficulty, sending waves of them at Frisk. There had to be at least twenty spears coming for them at the same time! She was standing on a path that Frisk had no idea how to access, and their only knowledge of it was that it was completely straight, unlike the bridge, and that it was the perfect location to throw spears from. The spears themselves were made of magic, but felt extremely dense, as if they were actually made of metal. Their bright glow made it easier for Frisk to avoid them, as they could see it with their peripheral vision, but they couldn't dodge entirely. The child had several slashes on their legs and arms, and the blood loss was making it incredibly difficult to continue running. Eventually, they made it to the end of the bridge, where there was more seaweed to run through. Frisk hid near the wall, hoping they wouldn't get caught as Undyne's heavy boots clanked towards them. They heard a rustle, not too far away from their location. It was over, they were done for, they wouldn't make it out, they would have to-  
  
    "What are you doin' here, punk?" Undyne grabbed at the area in front of them, pulling up an orange monster child wearing a red and black striped sweater, with spikes on its head and noticeably missing arms. The child beamed instantly as they looked up at their hero, with a wide grin that showed almost all of their teeth.  
  
    "Undyne! I'm a huge fan!" They squirmed about, not bothering to contain their excitement.  
  
    "Forget that, where's the human?"   
  
    "Human? You're fighting a human? So cool! Let me help! I can help you!"  
  
    "I'm not gonna waste my time babysitting! I've got a human to hunt! And if you really want to help me, you'll get out of the way next time!" Undyne threw the child down, her footsteps echoing away as she searched for Frisk.  
  
    "Aw man, she's so cool!" The monster child tried to stand up, but without arms, they found this task a bit difficult.  
  
    "Here let me help you." Frisk revealed themself. The child looked at Frisk with suspicion, then scorn.  
  
    "What, you think I'm weak or something? Lay off!" They tried to appear intimidating, but they were inevitably still stuck on the ground. They weren't used to falling at this angle.  
  
    "No, you just looked like you needed a hand." Frisk pulled them up against their will.  
  
    "Don't expect me to thank you, weirdo! I know who you are!"  
  
    "Y-you do?"  
  
    "Yeah! You're that kid who was running around town trying to get Undyne's attention! Sucks you got caught by that skeleton instead!" The child jeered, sticking their tongue out at Frisk.  
  
    "Phew, I thought. . . Nevermind. Anyway, I don't remember seeing you in Snowdin." Where you usually are. Frisk thought to themself.  
  
    "Psh! As if I'd introduce myself to someone as lame as you!"   
  
    "Well, I guess I'm calling you Monster Kid then, because I don't know your name and you don't seem to want to tell me."   
  
    "What?! I'm not just some lame-o 'Monster Kid'! I'm-"  
  
    "Hey, is that Undyne in the distance fighting a super lame and stupid human?" Frisk pointed off into the distance, squinting their eyes a little.  
  
    "What, where? Undyne! Undyne! Let me help you out!" Monster Kid ran towards the Undyne-less area, leaving Frisk to themself again. While Frisk always enjoyed company, they remembered how constantly their Monster Kid talked about Undyne. Frisk didn't want a repeat of that.  
  
    Coming up to a crystallized cheese that was very much stuck to its table, Frisk realized that it would be a good idea to save now. They didn't know how much HP they lost while trying to dodge Undyne, but they could feel it draining through their open wounds. As Frisk came closer to the bright, determination filled light, they could feel the pain numbing already. The save point filled them with a reassuring warmth as they glided their hand over it, as well as the heavy weight of responsibility that came with its power. Their wounds scabbed over, and as the light faded away, their injuries began to sting once again. It wasn't perfect, but until they could get their hands on more monster food, they would just have to deal with it. As Frisk was trying not to limp, they were very focused on the ground below them, and failed to notice their familiar skeletal 'friend' who was standing next to a rather professional looking telescope. To say that he startled them would be an understatement.  
  
    "brat."  
  
    "WAUGH-ACK!" Frisk's feet bumped into each other, causing them to fall forward and almost land on the ground. Almost.  
  
    "wow, ya never get tired of doin' that, do ya?" Sans asked, his red magic just barely levitating them off of the ground.   
  
    "Hello, Sans." The red magic lost its hold, dropping Frisk with a soft thud.  
  
    "heya. oh lookie here, a telescope. cool, ain't it? why don'tcha give it a go?"   
  
    "No thank you." Frisk remembered what happened the last time, and they weren't keen on being fooled twice.  
  
    "oh, ya sure? i think ya might want to see this." Sans looked into the telescope himself, yet didn't exactly touch it.  
  
    "Why not press your eye socket against it? I think it would be easier to see that way."   
  
    "heh, sure thing, brat." Sans properly looked through the telescope, but his skull was completely mark free.   
  
    "Oh, okay then." Frisk strolled up to the telescope and looked through. It was just the ceiling. Frisk looked around the room to see if there was anything of interest, but right as they were about to give up, a skeletal hand smacked the telescope lightly shaking the entire thing. Frisk jumped backwards, then fell onto a bucket of paint, covering half of their shirt with a dull, red, non-washable pigment.  
  
    "bet ya didn't 'spect that, did'ja?" Sans cackled as the child tried in vain to wipe off the paint.  
  
    "No, I can't say I did." Frisk looked at the mess that they'd made. Well, these clothes were ruined.   
  
    "eh, i was thinkin' ya might louse up somehow, so i got'cha these." Sans took out a red and dark grey striped sweater, complete with a matching set of black pants. It looked like it was made by a professional, so Frisk couldn't imagine Sans or Papyrus making it. Nor could they imagine either of the two spending time to make something for them.  
  
    "Where did you get this?" Frisk asked, looking at the detailed handicraft.  
  
    "well, that innkeeper seems p' fond of ya. she asked me to bring ya some new clothes, since the ones ya have right now are 'ratty'. but they still looked fine to me. though, i guess they don't now."   
  
    "Oh wow! Thank you! Well, actually, thank her. But still!" Frisk glowed with appreciation.  
  
    "uh, sure thing. but i didn't really do anything."   
  
    "Of course you did! You didn't have to bring it to me, and yet, you still did. That's thanks-worthy enough for me!" Frisk smiled appreciatively.   
  
    ". . . huh, whatever floats your boat." Sans shrugged before disappearing with a quick snap of his phalanges. Frisk admired themselves in their new outfit from their reflection in the glowing, cyan water. They took their old sweater and tied it around their neck, wearing it like Papyrus's scarf, and their shorts were tucked neatly into their pocket. With a satisfied nod, they continued heading forward.  
    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! So, what I feel like the consensus is that longer paragraphs are fine and all, so I'll just keep on leveling up! But not level of violence. Probably. 
> 
> Anyway, enough rambling for today! See you guys next week!


	17. Broken Bridges

    Frisk wandered around the maze of water multiple times, the dark wooden bridges creaking ever so slightly as they stepped on them. Waterfall was interesting in the fact that it could change so drastically. At first, they were surrounded by navy blue stone walls and pebbles that lit up the ceiling, sparkling with a bright sky blue. Now, they were looking down at the illuminated grass that sprouted out of the black soil, listening to the flow of the glowing river. They watched a lily pad flow down stream, tracing the waterfall that deposited it gently off into another stream. After circling around for who knows how long, Frisk came to a small cove with another tall patch of seaweed. Digging around, Frisk found an worn pair of ballet shoes, dust covering its edges. Frisk tried on the pair of dusty slippers and tied their stained sweater around their waist as a make shift tutu. They twirled around for a bit, feeling like a ballerina. Satisfying their sudden urge to dance, Frisk put the ballerina slippers back and took out the tougher glove that they had in their inventory, placing it beside the shoes. For some reason, they felt like they belonged next to each other. As Frisk exited the room, they could have sworn that they heard the echo of two voices.   
  
     _Thank you_.

. . .

  
    With the maze behind them, Frisk entered into a room with a long hallway surrounded by threatening looking waters. Each step reverberated around the room, making Frisk hesitant to go any faster. As Frisk walked, they noticed strange spindles winding out of the water, following them as they advanced. They quickened their pace, trying to reach the end of the hallway they couldn't even see. Their memories began to blur. What happened here again? They were almost positive that it couldn't be something threatening, that was all Undyne. Yet no matter how quickly or how far they walked, they couldn't escape whatever was following them, which was highly unnerving. It was only after the exit became visible that the creature decided to make itself visible. Frisk froze in their tracks as the water around them sloshed and formed waves. A giant light grey onion with sparkly anime eyes emerged from the depths of the pool, its rather smug looking face having 'baka, I'm so much more sugoi than you' written all over it. With narrowed eyes and a sneer, it leaned over and spoke.  
  
    "Hey! I'm Onionsama! Onionsama, you hear?!" It raised its spindly arms in the air and held them to its side.  
  
    ". . . Uh, hi?"   
  
    "You're in Waterfall, yeah? It's awesome, yeah? You love it here, yeah?"  
  
    "Uhm. . ."  
  
    "Yeah, it's my big favorite! All of my super cool, better-than-you friends live here too! They're so much cooler than you are!"  
  
    "Okay?" Frisk began to walk forward, only to be halted by one of Onionsama's arms.  
  
    "Yeah, they're pretty cool. But since they're not here to hang out with me, I guess you'll have to do."  
  
    "No, it's okay. Don't subject yourself to a lowly peasant like me." Frisk rolled their eyes and shoved the arm aside, walking away again.  
  
    "Wait! I mean, all of my friends are in a really hip aquarium in the city! Isn't that cool? I mean, I'm still here with this giant pool to myself, so I guess I have it better."  
  
    "Right. . . Don't let me ruin you fun." _Just a couple steps fur-_  
  
    "Yeah, even though this pool is getting kind of shallow and I'm all alone in this cramped cave, I'm living the life here! I totally don't need anyone to talk to or anything!"  
  
    "That's grea-"  
  
    "I'm going to live in the ocean on the surface and have a bigger crib than anyone else! I'm so awesome! You would be super lucky to have a friend like me!"  
  
    "It's okay, I don't want to drag you down. But, uh, good luck with the whole ocean thing." Frisk left, leaving Onionsama to wonder why they had such a hard time making friends.

. . .

  
    The melancholy song faded as Frisk left the only umbrella remaining in the bin behind to shield the statue from getting wet. They didn't remember that it would be the key to solving the piano puzzle, they were just trying to keep the statue dry. But sure enough, the melody played and Frisk used it to get to the ancient artifact, only to have it stolen by the dog once again. They couldn't believe that they forgot that would happen. Slowly, the details of their previous journeys were becoming hazy, which was what Frisk feared would happen. They tried to recount all of the different scenarios that they'd lived through and what happened in each of them, but it all blurred together, as if their precious memories were simply words that they had on the tip of their tongue yet couldn't quite remember. As rain pitter pattered from the roof, splashing into the puddles that formed on the ground, Frisk wondered why they even began their killing and resetting in the first place. They remember feeling a sudden urge to do so, a stringent curiosity that they couldn't ignore. Something came over them, something that had more power than they could describe. They were completely under its control, utterly powerless against it. But only when it asked Frisk to kill everyone was it that Frisk refused. At least, they think they did? They weren't sure anymore. Frisk didn't even know why it would want to do such a thing. The only thing they knew was that they ended up bringing everyone to the surface and the resets stopped. Until now. . .  
  
    "Mmrf mmph fer pfhh!" Monster Kid ran up to Frisk with an umbrella in their mouth.  
  
    "Where'd you get this from?" Frisk asked, snapping out of their thoughts to take the umbrella out of Monster Kid's mouth.   
  
    "I brought it, dummy! We can't go through this part of Waterfall without an umbrella! We'll get sick and miss Undyne's epic fight with the human!"  
  
    "We? So you don't mind hanging out with someone as lame as me?" Frisk grinned, opening the umbrella to shield them both.   
  
    "What?! No! I totally mind! I just don't have any arms so I can't carry an umbrella!" Monster Kid scoffed, glaring at Frisk. "Just hold the umbrella so I can meet Undyne!"  
  
    "You really seem to like her. What's so special about Undyne anyway?" Frisk glanced at Monster Kid, who looked at Frisk as if they were as stupid as a piece of cheese.  
  
    "What's so special about Undyne? What's so special about Undyne?! Well, let me tell you! Undyne is the super cool, rad, rough and tough Captain of the Royal Guard who just so happens to-" Monster Kid rambled on and on.   
  
    The rest of their walk went similarly to this, with Frisk asking questions and Monster Kid relaying the utmost important facts about Undyne that every monster _had_ to know in order to be even slightly as cool as her. It didn't bother Frisk as much as they thought it would to hear Monster Kid chatter on and on. It was kind of cute to see the normally snarky and rude Monster Kid talk about something so passionately with a twinkle in their eyes. The sound of rain and the rushing of the distant falls eventually dissipated, leaving only the foreboding silhouette of New Home and the wishing stones that shined above them. Even Monster Kid took a moment to silence themself in the unspeakable awe of this incredible view. They both took a moment to pause and look ahead, wondering what the Capital looked like and how people lived there. As it turned out, Monster Kid had never visited New Home before. Frisk, too, had never been able to properly explore it. And as they sat there, talking about the beauty and diversity of the Underground itself, and Undyne of course,  Monster Kid felt that Frisk wasn't bad to have a conversation with. Maybe they weren't as lame as they first thought.

. . .

  
    "Oh hey, there's a ledge here." Frisk measured the height of the small cliff with their arms.   
  
    ". . . That looks kind of hard to climb." Monster Kid realized that neither of the two could jump on top of it.   
  
    "Maybe we can get a ladder or something?"   
  
    "No, we might miss Undyne then! It'll take way to long. . . Here, why don't you climb on my shoulders instead? That way, you'll be able to see her in action!" Monster Kid pressed their back against the wall, slouching a bit for Frisk to reach the top of the ledge.  
  
    "What? But what about you? You're the biggest Undyne fan I know!"   
  
    "That's okay! I know another way around. I'll be fine! It's just hard to go through with two people. You'd definitely get lost."   
  
    "Are you sure?"  
  
    "Positive! I'll meet you on the other side!" Frisk reluctantly climbed to the top, struggling, but eventually reaching the top.  
  
    "Are you sure you don't want me to lift you up or something?"  
  
    "That cliff is way to high. You'll just fall while trying to reach me! Trust me, I'll meet you up there soon! See ya!" Monster Kid shouted as they dashed off.  
  
    "Right! See you there!"

. . .

 

_Frisk: LV 1_

_Waterfall- Collapsing Bridge_

_HP: 9/18_

  
    The save point indicated that something was about to happen. 'Collapsing Bridge'. Frisk thought hard about what that could have meant. They decided that the only way to find out was to proceed. Entering the next room, Frisk found themselves over another, semi-stable wooden bridge. Dread filled their system as the words began to take meaning. Sure enough, a spear was flung right at Frisk's feet, followed by a "Damn it, I missed!" Frisk didn't even turn around to confirm their enemy's presence, and instead took to running as fast as they could. The bridge curved and swerved at jagged and crooked angles, each one tripping Frisk up, allowing Undyne to catch up with them. As they were trying not to trip over the weird bridge structures, they were also being pelted by cerulean spears that came from the sides and from below them, making it nearly impossible to avoid getting hurt. Undyne's spears were so sporadically thrown, that most of them ended up hitting the bridge instead, weakening it structure even more. The bridge began to crumble at Frisk's feet, and soon large chunks of it were falling off, giving Frisk even more to evade from. Frisk was running out of breath and getting nowhere quickly. The second they stopped, the bridge from under them glowed brightly. Frisk almost dodged, but their foot was caught, pinning them to that spot on the bridge.   
  
    "Finally! You're fucking dead, punk!" Undyne howled as a multitude of spears pierced Frisk's body, their bright red blood contrasting with the cobalt blue of her magic. When the spears were released, their body fell with a thud, and the last thing Frisk heard was the sound of their own soul shattering to pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, don't you guys love Waterfall?
> 
> See ya next week!


	18. Blook Acres

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops! Sorry this one is a little late! I hope you enjoy it though!

    "Ugh, this stupid game still won't load." A figure was staring at their buffering computer screen, muttering to themself.  
  
    "This is what happens when I mess with the files. I'm an idiot for thinking Bob knew anything about programming or hacking." They sighed, then exited out of the file.  
  
    "Man, I was so close to getting all of the endings too. Damn it, Bob!" They cursed their friend, shaking their fist in Bob's general direction.  
  
    "It's been a month already, so it's not going to fix itself anytime soon. Guess that means I'll have to fix it myself. . . Uuuuuuuugghhhh."  


 

. . .

  
  
    Frisk woke with a start, the feeling of their body being pierced by a barrage of spears still vivid. This was the third time they had tried to get past Undyne, but to no avail. Getting past her was hard enough, but with the bridge's crumbling foundation and the random weapons coming out of the ground, Frisk found it nearly impossible to advance. They were down to 15 HP and they weren't keen on losing any more of it. Frisk sighed heavily. What was it that they did before? Their memories were fading faster with each death. Frisk couldn't even remember why they survived in their world. It was just a blur now. The child tried to grasp onto anything they could think of, anything at all. Frisk hugged their old sweater nostalgically. Toriel was probably worried sick. What was everyone doing right now? Did they even notice Frisk was gone? Maybe they, too, were being slowly forgotten by their friends on the surface, just another human face that they couldn't quite name. Every minute they could be forgetting Frisk was the one who saved them. Every minute they could be forgetting Frisk all together. This thought gave Frisk the determination to continue forward.  


 

. . .

  
  
    "NGAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Undyne conjured up her magic, sending a storm of spears directly towards Frisk.  
  
    "Can't we talk this out?!" Frisk ran faster, trying not to trip.  
  
    "GET BACK HERE!"  
  
    "I guess not!" Frisk leaped over a crack in the bridge, rolling safely towards the other side. Unfortunately, the bridge couldn't handle Frisk's weight and began to fall. Undyne summoned a last ditch attempt at trying to spear the child before they fell. A giant spear, with the bulk of at least five spears, was hurdled towards the falling child. The only thing it did was break whatever was left of the crumbling foundation, allowing the child to free fall the rest of the way down. Undyne growled, then turned around. If she was going to catch this child, she'd have to go the other way around.  
  
 

 

. . .

  
_What was that sound? Over there?_  
  
_Woah! That looks like a pretty bad fall._  
  
_You okay?_  
  
_C'mon, get up. Who are you anyway?_  
  
_Huh? _ ~~ **#**~~ **- ~~_~~ *** ~~ **=**~~? What a weird name!_  
  
_Me? My name is. . ._  
  
    A loud thud should have been heard as Frisk plummeted to their death. Their soul should have shattered into pieces, renewing with their seemingly undying determination. There shouldn't have been any possible way that Frisk was still alive right now. And yet, there they were. Alive. Frisk blinked slowly. They sustained many injuries, some major, some minor. It was amazing that they survived this time. Frisk looked down to see that they were lying on another bed of golden flowers, some speckled with Frisk's blood. They needed to save soon. Frisk stood, eyeing their surroundings. They were sitting in what appeared to be a garbage dump. There was a wall of water before them, cycling endless piles of trash. As Frisk limped forward, they found a save point sparkling between two mounds of garbage. It stood in the middle of two waterfalls, one stopping where the other one started. There was a small basin in the middle of the two, a spot that looked as if it was made for the save point. Frisk waved their hand over it, enjoying the warm reassurance that it gave them. It outweighed the heavy feeling of its power.  
  
    After all of their wounds were sufficiently dealt with, Frisk looked around the dump to see if there was anything useful for them to use. They passed a bicycle, an old computer tower, and an icebox with nothing inside of it. A dummy was sat just before the exit, just leaning on a pile of garbage. Frisk hugged the dummy before continuing, but as they were about to exit the room, the dummy came to life. Its eyes lit up with anger, then its entire body flailed. The creaking of its wooden interior was muffled by the cotton that was slowly falling out of its ragged body. It shook and shuddered, then fell completely limp. Without warning, it lunged right at the child and blocked the way out. Frisk didn't understand why it was so angry all of the sudden. Did it dislike hugs? Frisk snapped out of their thoughts when the rag doll spoke, its voice high shrill and insane.  
  
    "DID YOU JUST HUG ME?! HOW DARE YOU!"  
  
    "I'm sorry! I didn't think you would-"  
  
    "YEAH YOU DIDN'T THINK, DID YOU?! NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT!" The dummy cackled wildly, calling for its friends.  
  
    "You must think it's sooooooo pitiful being a training dummy, don't you?!"  
  
    "H-huh?"  
  
    "Just going up and PITYING ME?! You think I'm as weak as my cousin in the Ruins?! THINK AGAIN BUCKO!"  
  
    "I wasn't trying to-"  
  
    "TOO LATE!" In another fit of laughter, the dummy rallied his friends. They all came out of different trash heaps, and strangely, Frisk never noticed they were there.  
  
    "Wait! Let me- Woah!" Frisk barely dodged a bullet like wad of cotton.  
  
    "Explanations are unnecessary! I know what you are! You're a HUMAN! Humans are what we need! I'm gonna take your SOUL and be THE MOST USEFUL DUMMY ANYONE'S EVER SEEN! Then they'll respect us. I'll show them all. I'LL SHOW THEM ALL! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" The mad dummy lifted its head towards the air.  
  
    "Ready? Aim. FIREEEEEEEEE!" The dummy screeched, sending a battalion of bullets towards Frisk's soul. Frisk, unable to dodge, dropped as their body was riddled with bullet holes and their soul was destroyed.  


 

. . .

  
  
    "Okay, no more Nice Frisk!" Frisk leapt from the save point, ignoring the dull throbbing in their head. As soon as they reached the dummy, they walked straight past it, keeping their eye on the exit. Of course it would still react negatively.  
  
    "HEY! Are you just going to ignore-" Yes, yes they were.  
  
    "GET BACK HERE!" Mad Dummy flew between Frisk and the exit.  
  
    "You think you can just ignore ME?! Of all the twisted things that's happened to me down here, YOU have got to be the WORST!"  
  
    "Get out of my way."  
  
    "WHY?! You gonna MAKE ME?!" And just like that, Mad Dummy was sent hurdling into a wall head first.  
  
    "OH YOU'VE DONE IT NOW BUDDY!" Mad Dummy called for his friends, once again surrounding the child. However, the exit was already right there.  
  
    "Okay, right, fun fight time, whatever. I'll catch you guys later." Frisk gently moved a dummy standing in their way and walked forward.  
  
    "H-hey! You can't just do that! FIGHT ME! HEY!"  
  
    "this is why i normally stay in the ruins. . ." Napstablook sighed, catching everyone off guard.  
  
    "Oh, it's you! The one who makes the terrible music!"  
  
    ". . ." With that comment, every dummy in the area was shot with a magical red music note.  
  
    "Thank you!" Frisk gave their ghostly friend a hug.  
  
    "it's whatever. my house is close by so that wasn't really impressive or anything."  
      
    "Really? Can I see?" Frisk was interested in where Napstablook lived. And maybe if they toured this Napstablook's house, they could remember what their's looked like.  
  
    "oh. sure, i guess. . . this way."  


 

. . .

  
  
    Frisk found it endearing as they walked up to the Napstablook-shaped house. It had one window and was a slate color. When Frisk entered, they found that it was eerily similar to a haunted house, although it made sense, considering Napstablook was an actual ghost. There wasn't much actual decoration in the house, other than a large black refrigerator, an older style television, a neat little computer station, and three records lying on the floor next to a cobweb. Upon further inspection, the cobweb held a flyer for Muffet's pastries. Frisk walked around the room for a bit, their steps creaking on the old hard wood floor. The entire interior was pretty dismal, actually. Frisk looked at the chipping walls, a darker gray color that reminded them of wet cement. Napstablook let Frisk roam their house and poke around. They weren't used to having company over, so they didn't know whether they were being nosy or if this was just what friends do. Napstablook assumed that this was completely normal and decided to help them poke around by describing anything that they touched.  
  
    "oh. that's my computer. i use it to upload my music. right now, you can see its on spookcloud."  
  
    "Cool!" Frisk went to turn on the tv.  
  
    "i unplugged my tv. i couldn't stand watching. . . well. . . never mind. . . its a pretty boring story."  
  
    "Don't worry, I'll listen to your story!" Frisk sat down and listened attentively.  
  
    "oh. . . well, my cousin is pretty famous. . . . .  he has a tv show and everything. . . after he started getting all popular, he stopped helping me with the snail farm out back. i hate him." Napstablook seemed sad despite his words of distaste for his cousin.  
  
    "Do you really mean that?"  
  
    ". . . . . . ." After Napstablook didn't respond, Frisk decided it was best not to pry any further.  
  
    "Uh, hey, what are these?" Frisk went over to the records lying on the floor.  
  
    "oh, those are mine. you want to listen to them. . . ?"  
  
    "Sure!" Frisk listened to each of the tunes. They weren't bad actually, just a tad spooky. It was nice, but Frisk couldn't help it when their stomach started growling.  
  
    "oh. . . are you hungry. . . .? i think i have something in my fridge. . . . ." Napstablook proceeded to get a ghost sandwich from the fridge, only to have it faze through Frisk.  
  
    ". . . . . . well, we can always lie on the floor and feel like garbage. its something i do often. want to join me?"  
  
    Frisk nodded and joined Napstablook. As they lay there, Frisk could have sworn the room was changing. After a while, they realized that it was. Suddenly, there was a whole bunch of planets and stars. The universe seemed to collide in on itself. Everything was swirling faster and faster. Frisk stood up and immediately regretted it. They fell back to the floor, their mind still boggled. Napstablook seemed pretty unaffected and was instead trying to help the child up, but couldn't because of their incorporeal body. Frisk decided it would be a good idea to go outside and get some fresh air, prompting a trip to the snail farm. When they got there, Frisk noticed that these snails were. . . Odd. Frisk watched a snail speed over to the other side of its pen in ten seconds. Granted, the pen wasn't that big and Frisk could definitely beat the snail in a race if they wanted to, but this was still pretty fast for a snail. Also, these snails took on the edginess of this world, all of them being black and red, and some even had spikes on their shells. It was something to behold for sure.  
  
    "over here is the snail racing pen. . . for ten g, you can enter a snail. . . want to try?"  
  
    "No thanks, I don't have any money. Also, I'm not really a betting person."  
  
    "well. . . . that's fine. . . . i'm sure you have other places to be now too." Napstablook sighed.  
  
    "Yeah, but it was fun hanging out with you!"  
  
    "really?"  
  
    "Of course! Also, I think you might want to make up with your cousin. Maybe just send him a call or something?"  
  
    "huh. . . . okay. . . maybe i'll do that. thanks, i guess. . ." Napstablook waved as Frisk left the farm. Maybe they would try to talk to their cousin again. . .


	19. Shopping Spree

_Curious. . . They have still not given up._  
  
    "They've always been determined. It's not like them to give up."  
  
_They appeared to be hopeless. Perhaps. . . Homesick._  
  
    ". . . It was their main goal to go home."  
  
_The surface is grand. Grand enough to struggle so fervently._  
  
    "It is! Although. . . It's not really the surface they're missing."  
  
_Oh. You know about their desires. What they wish for._  
  
    "Yes. I was there with them. You knew I wasn't your 'partner' when you saw me, right?"  
  
_Yes._  
  
    "Well, you also aren't the person I was expecting."  
  
_Explain._  
  
    "Well. . . You're a lot nicer than I remember. Also, I think this plan of yours will actually work!"  
  
_Odd. You believe that I would lead you astray._  
  
    "No, I trust you! I really do! But after our last plan failed. . ."  
  
_. . ._ _Let us watch over them. They are only half way there._  
  
    "Right." _I'm sorry, Frisk, but I have to do this._  
  
    

 

. . .

  
  
    Gerson glared at Frisk through his one good wrinkled eye, adjusting his helmet slightly. Frisk had been standing in the shop for a while now, not really buying anything and just looking around. They had asked him a few questions every now and then, but didn't do much talking otherwise, just listening carefully to the stories he told. If they were here to steal something, it was taking them an awful long time to do it. Even though he was old, Gerson was still a tough turtle. He kept his armor on in reminder of this. Every now and then he'd get a couple of brats trying to stir up trouble, not knowing who they were dealing with. At first, he thought Frisk was one of those brats. But after ten minutes of meandering through the tiny cove that he called a store, Gerson knew Frisk wasn't trying anything suspicious. He just had no idea why they were still here. After at least five more minutes, Frisk looked at the upside down Delta Rune that was engraved in the crystalline cave walls. They stared at it for a long time, as if they were trying to remember its meaning. A long sigh indicated that they couldn't.  
  
    "That's the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom. Don't you ingrates learn anything in school?"  
  
    "No."  
  
    "Heh! That's why monsterkind's going down hill, I tell ya!"  
  
    "Could you tell me more about it?"  
  
    "Suppose I could. No one really knows what it means. But some say it's a prophecy."  
  
    "Prophecy." Frisk repeated the word, deep in thought.  
  
    "What's the matter? Temmie's got yer tongue?"  
  
    "Does the circle represent. . ."  
  
    "Spit it out now."  
  
    "Pie?"  
  
    "Close. Some say it represents a fallen angel, one that'll free us from this damn hole. Ye see how it's wings are all pointed down? Fallen alright."  
  
    "And the triangles?"  
  
    "Well, those are us! Us monsters that is. They say we're above that 'angel' because we left'em behind in our trek back up!"  
  
    ". . ."  
  
    "No more questions?"  
  
    "No thank you. I'll buy a crab apple, please."  
  
    "Finally buying something! That'll be 15 G."  
  
    "Huh? The sign says-"  
  
    "It's been a while since I've talked with such a weird little youngster like you. Nothing comes for free, but a little discount won't hurt me."  
  
    "Thank you!" Frisk pulled out the little change they had from sparing the many monsters in Waterfall. It was a good thing he gave them a discount, they would have been clean out of cash if they had payed the original price.  


 

. . .

  
  
    "Bye!" Frisk waved at the Shyren they just sang with. She had a nice voice, even though it was a bit spooky.  
  
    As Frisk entered the darkened room, they realized that they couldn't see the path before them. The little trail of bright, aquamarine grass faded out, blending in with the almost pitch black surroundings. Little illuminated mushrooms lit up the way when Frisk tapped on them, which was a relief because Frisk was one step away from tripping over a woshua. Woshua didn't seem to notice them though, and continued to scuttle away, leaving a trail of soap. Frisk tried their best to avoid the trail as they followed the path, lighting up as they booped the mushrooms. At one point, Frisk ran into a dead end, something that should have made them go back. However, Frisk could hear something on the other side of the darkness. It sounded cute, so of course they had to follow it. Light springy music began to play as Frisk walked closer and closer to the end of the unlit path. Frisk walked through a blinding flash of light, squinting to try to adjust to the sudden brightness. They were greeted with a somewhat suspicious, yet still cheery voice.  
  
    "hOOOOOIIIII!!!!11111!!" A temmie popped up from the blinding light, which turned out to be a giant neon sign that read 'teM fLAke hOI'.  
  
    "Um. . . Hi?"  
  
    Frisk walked around the small 'village' to see if they could recall ever seeing a place like this before. The name 'temmie' was oddly familiar, however the actual place was slipping from their memory. Small, black haired creatures wearing mauve-ish brown suits were skipping around happily, swimming in what seemed to be a rich economy that ran around tem flakes. The 'tems' had both cat and dog ears, and a slightly off put face that some how held up monocles. Frisk noticed a save point in the middle of the village and decided that there was never a bad time to save. Well apparently they were wrong, because as soon as they made a move towards the glowing yellow star, a group of temmies surrounded them, giving Frisk what they assumed to be an allergic reaction. Their nose tingled with an oncoming sneeze, and Frisk knew they had about five seconds before their throat closed up. Dashing with the speed of ten froggits, Frisk practically leaped onto the save point saving their progress right there.  


 

_Frisk- LV:1_

_Waterfall- Temmie Incorporated_

_HP: 7/14_

  
  
    "AHHHH!" Frisk dashed into the 'TEM SHOP' and breathed a sigh of relief after they realized they weren't being followed. They must be allergic to these weird things.  
  
    "hOOOOIIIIII! wELComm 2 TEM SHOP!!!" A temmie with gray hair and a black business suit vibrated so quickly that its face levitated through the air, only to return moments later.  
  
    "Hi? I didn't mean to run into here, I was just-"  
  
    "tEM hAz gud pR1c3! YA YA YA!" The shop keeper temmie began putting various stacks of temmie flakes onto the counter, as well as a sheet of paper that had a contract on it scribbled in crayola.  
  
    "No thanks, I was just-"  
  
    "teM SELL! jST 4 U!!!!! this tem flake sell for 5G! WAO WAO WAO WAO WAO!"  
  
    "I'm not really-"  
  
    "this is delux tem flake! 20G! WAO WOW WOAH WAO WOA!"  
  
    "I was just-"  
  
    "Buy something or I'll sick 'em on you again." The temmie spoke with a dangerous tone, pointing towards the hoard of temmies just waiting in the distance, eyes gleaming.  
  
    ". . . One bag of temmie flakes please."


	20. Hiatus

Aw man, I feel really bad for leaving you guys hanging last week. And the week before that. And the week before that. I didn't really mean to not update, but for some reason, I've been having trouble coming up with the motivation to continue this series. It seems like every time I try to write, I can never get the words on the screen correctly. I'm definitely going to try to continue, but I've been struck with a nasty case of writer's block lately.  
  
   
  
Once again, I apologize for not being able to update. I feel like I just need some time to think about the story. Hopefully I'll get to you guys next week. But, I didn't want to leave you all with nothing but bad news, so right underneath this unfortunate update, I've added some Frisk and Papyrus fluff, back on the surface before they took a trip to Underfell! Is it canon to the work as a whole? Who knows! But in any case, I hope that I didn't disappoint you guys too much. Enjoy this little snippet!  
  
   
  
. . .  
  
   
  
    Frisk glanced at the clock anxiously, waiting for their skeletal ~~date~~ friend to appear. Papyrus was always a punctual monster. He was never late to anything. In fact, he would usually be the one to show up early, already standing or sitting there with his usual smile, waving his hand enthusiastically. Frisk and Papyrus would hang out all the time, whether it be going to the park, or simply getting some ice cream together, and every time, Papyrus would be there first. They had planned on going to Mettaton's Surface Debut Extraordinaire together today, in order to celebrate monsterkind's freedom. For the eighth time that month. But it was okay. Frisk always enjoyed spending time with Papyrus, so they jumped at any opportunity to hang out. However, today proved to be a bit concerning. Papyrus wouldn't just cancel on them at the last minute, would he? Frisk certainly thought not. And yet the ticking of the clock couldn't be any louder. It was agonizing, watching the line to the ticket booth get longer and longer. They would be out of tickets before Papyrus got here. What was taking him so long?  
  
  
    "HUMAN! I APOLOGIZE FOR MY TARDINESS!" Papyrus sprinted full speed down the street, dodging all of the pedestrians in his path. Papyrus's crimson scarf was flailing in the wind, his gloved hand placed sturdily on the brown fedora on his head. He was wearing a dark orange jacket, with a faded grey t-shirt underneath. His skinny dark blue skinny jeans were still somewhat baggy on his bony figure, but his red knee-high boots hid most of the bagginess.  
  
  
    "You look so cool!" Frisk glowed in admiration. Was that why he was late? Well, all of that extra time spent was definitely worth it!  
  
    "WHY, THANK YOU TINY HUMAN! OH, I GUESS I SHOULD SAY FRISK. I SUPPOSE I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN USED TO THAT!" Papyrus smiled shyly, then looked over at the long line of people and monsters alike, all dying to get into Mettaton's concert.  
  
    "OH. THERE SEEMS TO BE A LONG LINE. METTATON SURE IS POPULAR! ARE YOU OKAY WITH WAITING THIS LONG? WE CAN GO DO SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU'D LIKE!"  
  
    "It's okay, Papyrus! I know how much you were looking forward to this." Frisk sighed internally. Frisk wasn't a patient person, but they didn't mind waiting a few more minutes if it meant Papyrus could enjoy himself.   
  
    ". . . NONSENSE, FRISK! I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME WITH YOU! HOWEVER, IF YOU AREN'T COMFORTABLE WAITING IN LINE, THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO NOT MIND CHANGING PLANS!"  
  
    "Aww! Thank you, Papyrus! But really, it's okay. I enjoy spending time with you too, even if it's just waiting in line!" Frisk thought their heart would burst! How cute! This conversation made waiting more than bearable!  
  
    "ALRIGHTY THEN, FRISK! LET US PROCEED TO THE LINE!"   
  
. . .  
  
    "Oh yes~ Darlings, are you ready to sparkle?" Mettaton rose from the floor dramatically, smoke clouding in a way that only his silhouette could be seen.   
  
    A cheer from the crowd gave Mettaton the okay to start his show. Dancy, electronic music blared through the speakers, with Napstablook happily running the sound system, filling the crowd with excitement. The stage illuminated with a light show, different lasers shining red, orange, yellow, green, aquamarine, blue, and purple throughout the concert hall. Mettaton struck a pose, clearing the smoke away, showing off his bright pink boots. Immediately, they began changing color as well, causing the crowd to cheer louder than before. If that was possible. Frisk and Papyrus were near the back, too late to get the good front row seats. Papyrus was enthusiastically dancing along, as if he had memorized all of the moves by heart. Frisk bounced excitedly as well, the electronic groove of the music pumping them up even further. The concert ended with a literal bang, as Mettaton threw one of his MTT Brand confetti bombs in the air, little Mettaton cut-outs falling from the ceiling. As Mettaton thanked everyone for coming, he blew a kiss into the crowd, sending almost everyone into a frenzy.   
  
    "Thank you for coming, Darlings!~ Be sure to come to my next show!" And just like that, Mettaton sank back into the ground.   
  
    "WOWIE! METTATON HAD ANOTHER EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE!" Papyrus smiled as they exited from the concert hall.  
  
    "Yeah! The light show was really pretty!"  
  
    "INDEED!" As Frisk walked down the street with Papyrus, they noticed that one of his gloves had fallen off. The glove itself wasn't really what bothered Frisk, what bothered them was the scratch they saw on Papyrus's arm, only slightly visible from his crinkled up jacket sleeve.   
  
    "Hey, did you get hurt?" Frisk turned to inspect the injured bone.   
  
    "OH THIS?! THIS IS. . . NOTHING! OH, IT APPEARS I HAVE DROPPED MY GLOVE! NOW WHERE DID THAT THING GO?" Papyrus pulled his sleeve back down, hiding his hand in his pocket while he searched the ground for his lost glove.   
  
    "Are you sure? That looked pretty-"  
  
    "AH HA! FOUND IT!" Papyrus whisked the dark brown glove off of the ground, putting it back on his hand.   
  
    "Papyrus." Frisk looked at him, their eyes urging for the truth.   
  
    "IT'S NOTHING, HUMAN! I PROMISE!" Papyrus was nervously sweating.  
  
    "Was that the reason why you were late?"  
  
    "WELL. . ." Before he could answer, however, a group of hooligans shoved their way through Frisk and Papyrus.  
  
     "Hey! What was that for?" Frisk yelled, gaining attention from everyone on the block.  
  
    "Maybe you'll get out of the way next time, monster lover." One of them spat and turned around.  
  
    "Nothing wrong with loving monsters. Papyrus is twice the person you'll ever be! Maybe three times even! And that's being generous." Frisk shot back.  
  
    "What did you say?!"   
  
    "NOW NOW, HUMANS. I BELIEVE WE CAN SETTLE THIS-"  
  
    "Oh, it's you again? I thought we already dealt with you!"  
  
    "Leave Papyrus alone!"  
  
    " _Leave Papyrus alone!_ Oh, we're so scared." Frisk went straight up to the head hooligan and kicked him in an unfortunate area. As he fell to the ground in excruciating pain, an all out brawl started. Even though Frisk was surrounded, they could still dodge exceedingly well. All of that time in the Underground with bullet attacks galore really helped their evasive skills. Papyrus, on the other hand, was not doing as well.   
  
    "Papyrus, what's wrong?!" Frisk asked, quickly moving out of the way of an oncoming fist.  
  
    "THEY'RE UNARMED! I CAN'T FIGHT BACK!"  
  
    "Papyrus! Dodge them at least!"  
  
    "BUT-"  
  
    "Papyrus!" All at once, a blue ping captured their souls, sending the enemies to the ground. Confused shouting broke out as they all realized that they couldn't move.   
      
    "The hell is this?!"  
  
    "Monster!"  
  
    "I knew you lot couldn't be trusted!"  
  
    "Hey! You deserve it! You guys were the ones who picked the fight in the first place!" Frisk stuck their tongue out, glaring as their souls were released and the group fled.  
  
    "I HOPE I DIDN'T HURT THEM. . ."  
  
    "Papyrus, one of them said that they saw you before. Is that how you got the scratch on your arm?"  
  
    "WELL. . . YES. BUT I'M SURE THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO HARM ME! I JUST INTIMIDATED THEM WITH MY GRAND PRESENCE! NYEH HEH HEH!"  
  
    "Oh Papyrus. . ." Frisk hugged their injured friend.   
  
    "NEVER FEAR, FRISK! I AM VERY STRONG AFTER ALL! NOW THEN, WHAT SHALL WE DO NEXT DURING THIS HANGOUT?"  
  
    Frisk giggled as they walked along side him. He was strong, for sure, but Frisk couldn't think of any person cooler than Papyrus!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my two sisters who are celebrating their birthday today! Happy Birthday, guys!


End file.
